L&L: Nine Years in the Life
by TheSecretBar
Summary: This is my take on the nine years in Luke and Lorelai's life that we missed out on. The story starts from 'Bon Voyage' in 2007 and will end in 2015. It's mostly fluff/romance with a pinch of drama but not too much (ASP gave them enough IMO). HAPPY READING!
1. Prologue

DISCLAIMER: Clearly I do not own any of these amazing characters but I am taking ownership of this timeline that I've attempted to create. I'm an avid reader of fan fiction, especially Gilmore girls inspired. This is my first dive into writing it myself. Go easy on me, guys.

PROLOGUE

MAY 2007

It had been a pretty emotional month for Lorelai Gilmore. Her divorce from Christopher was finalized and, with that train wreck of a marriage behind her, she could start to focus on her future and what she really wanted. Like most things, however, it's easier said than done. Little by little she tried to recover the bits of her old life that she had let go of. One of those bits was returning to Luke's. It was awkward at first but, after her and Luke got over the hump, things seemed to be getting back to normal or so she thought. When will she ever learn that tequila shots and a microphone are the key ingredients in a recipe for embarrassment? Feelings definitely started to stir up and she meant every word she sang, but how did Luke feel?

On top of all that, Logan planned on proposing to Rory. Of course she gave him permission to ask her, but it was up to Rory to decide if she said yes or no. She was on edge for the next week as she waited on a phone call with the news of a possible engagement. Finally, at Rory's graduation party, Lorelai would get her answer. She was proud of her daughter for wanting to think things through. If only she had that same frame of mind when Christopher wanted to elope in Paris…

Lorelai couldn't believe that after Rory's slight stumble last year she was able to catch up and graduate on time. Nothing made Lorelai more proud as a mother than seeing Rory walk up and accept her diploma from Yale University. For just a moment, all the drama and sadness of the last year had melted away. All of Lorelai and Rory's hard work had finally paid off and they couldn't wait to celebrate, Gilmore girls style.

First, a Stars Hollow graduation reenactment party including a massive bbq and then a summer of riding roller coasters around the country. However, plans came to a screeching halt when Rory landed the job of a lifetime. She would be going on the campaign trail for Senator Barack Obama which meant lots of traveling. Lorelai being Lorelai put on a brave, happy face for her daughter. She was unbelievably proud of Rory but she just wasn't ready to let her go. Telling the town that the party would have to be canceled was hard but sending her daughter out into the real world was going to be harder.

A few days later, as Lorelai drove towards the town square, the site in front of them brought her to tears. A massive tent covered the square and every person they loved was huddled underneath it. Lorelai couldn't believe it. She'd definitely underestimated this town and its party planning capabilities. It wasn't until Sookie pointed out that it was all Luke's doing that Lorelai had her answer on where things stood with him. Luke was always the type of man who showed his feelings through actions, and this action more than proved that theory.

As she made her way towards the diner, she was suddenly at a loss for what to say. But, as soon as he walked out, she stopped in front of him, looked up and simply said, "Thank you."

His response was typical Luke, shrugging it off like it was no big deal. But Lorelai knew better.

"I just like to see you happy," said Luke and Lorelai's heart swelled.

In that moment she knew he was her future and the only man she could ever want. The kiss they shared after a year of separation was even better than their first. They knew what it was like to live without the other and it was a life neither one wanted to live. They hugged in the street for what felt like a lifetime until Luke remembered the necklace he had put in his pocket for her, just in case. He helped her put it on and they returned to the party with a promise they would see each other early the next morning before Lorelai took Rory to the airport.

Dropping Rory off the next day was one of the hardest moments of Lorelai Gilmore's life but, knowing she had a future waiting back home for her, she was able to push that grief aside and look forward to what life had in store.

Since plans with Rory and the roller coasters fell through as well as the plans that were made with April, Luke and Lorelai decided they would take that boat trip together. They both agreed that they would take this time to regroup, talk, and recommit to each other away from the prying eyes of Stars Hollow. Lorelai was definitely surprised at how easily they fell back in step with each other. The banter and the flirting was still there after almost a year apart. 

* * *

**AUTHORS NOTES:** I absolutely loved the revival (as well as the original) but it left me, and quite a few others, with some holes that needed to be filled. I understand that nine years is a hell of a long time in between the OG series and the revival, but ASP didn't really try to fill in that space or explain certain decisions our beloved characters had made. This is my attempt at doing just that.

I'm focusing on Luke & Lorelai, however some of the stories I have planned will have to include others as well. Prime example being April. I have to include her storyline because of the fact that she was introduced for the sole purpose of breaking up Luke and Lorelai. AND she's still a minor in the early part of the L's relationship and Luke has partial custody of her.

I'm making each chapter a different year (a 2007 chapter, a 2008 chapter, etc., etc.) but I don't plan on covering every month of that particular year. The length of the chapters will vary based on the storyline I created. It's mostly fluffy/romance stories with some dramatic bits thrown in. ASP gave Luke and Lorelai enough drama in their relationship, they don't need anymore from me.

Please leave me feedback/messages so I at least know if there's interest in this type of story or if you have a hole you want filled (Dirty!) that I didn't originally plan on tackling. Now enjoy the rest of 2007…


	2. 2007

**JUNE 2007**

Two weeks after the graduation party, they decided to set sail up the coast. They agreed, albeit reluctantly, to hold off on the physical part of their relationship until everything was discussed and out in the open.

Lorelai was excited to spend quality time with Luke, but naturally she was nervous too. Realization dawned on her that the last trip they took together, to Martha's Vineyard, was less than ideal. But that was a year and a half ago and this trip would be about pushing past all that grief and hurt and starting with a clean slate. And what better topic to start with than the date that was looming right in front of them, June 3rd. They were both well aware that they could quite possibly be celebrating their one year anniversary had things not gone horribly wrong.

"Did you _really_ want to marry me?" Lorelai asked quietly as Luke cleaned up from their dinner out on the deck of the boat.

He knew they would be discussing things and possibly opening old wounds, but her question wasn't what he was expecting. He grabbed a towel to dry his hands and joined her on the L-shaped couch at the back of the boat. He took her hands and tugged them gently to get her to turn towards him.

"Of course I did," said Luke as he looked into her eyes.

She looked down at their intertwined fingers. "Why didn't you come after me?"

Luke swallowed. Not going after Lorelai that night had become one of the biggest regrets of his life. Of course, at the time, he had no idea how bad things were going to get.

"I just thought you needed some time to calm down. Put yourself in my position, Lorelai. I had been looking for you for two days and all of a sudden you show up, clearly upset, wanting to elope. You didn't seem to be in any condition to have that conversation," he said calmly.

Lorelai looked up with tear-filled eyes. "I felt like I was the only one who was all in and you had one foot out the door," she sniffled before she continued, "I know you were patient with me when I was going through that hard time with Rory. I see that now and I didn't at the time. But I felt so shut out of your life, Luke. Especially when it came to April."

Luke used his thumbs to wipe the tears off her cheeks. "If I've learned anything in the last year, it's that I should have established my rights as April's father from the start. I _did_ let Anna call the shots when it came to April because it was new territory for me and I was so scared that she would change her mind and not let me spend time with her. I hate myself for not noticing how upset you were. Believe me. Like I told you a few months ago, I was compartmentalizing and that wasn't fair to you. But things will be different this time, Lorelai. You have my word." He pleaded to her with his eyes.

Lorelai nodded slightly, "I know. Just the fact that we're actually discussing this proves it."

She was thankful that they could talk calmly about this despite all the pain its caused. Maybe it was because they had already forgiven each other that day in the hay bale maze. Maybe it was because enough time had passed that the emotional wounds were starting to heal. Whatever the reason, they were both glad to get this out in the open so that they could move forward with their lives.

They both finished cleaning up and headed into the cabin to get ready for bed. The inside of the boat was definitely bigger than Lorelai imagined and she was able to convince Luke that she was fine with showering in the rather large stand-up shower. They still needed to stop for groceries and toiletries as needed but they were able to spend every night on the boat instead of having to book hotels along the coast every few nights.

* * *

A week after their June 3rd conversation, the topic of Christopher reared its ugly head. He definitely needed to be discussed, but the way he was brought up was not exactly ideal. They had finally made it to the coast of Maine and found a marina to dock the boat in for a couple of nights. Lorelai was sunbathing in one of her teeny bikinis on the back deck of the boat while Luke stood at the outdoor sink rinsing off a few dishes from their breakfast that morning. Lorelai's phone started ringing on the counter next to the sink.

"Oh, Luke, answer that for me. It might be Rory!" Lorelai called out without attempting to move from her warm, sunny spot on the boat.

Luke quickly dried his hands and without even glancing at the display on the phone he answered, "Hello?"

That all too familiar male voice on the other end spoke. "Uh, who is this?" the voice asked in a not-so-friendly tone.

Luke pulled the phone away and checked the display. Grimacing when he saw the name CHRISTOPHER, he walked over and held out the phone to Lorelai.

"It's not Rory," said Luke in a clipped tone.

Confused by his tone, Lorelai quickly sat up and grabbed for her phone. Seeing whose name was on the display, her stomach instantly dropped. She watched Luke walk towards the door to the cabin below and said a silent prayer that they could talk about this as calmly as possible when she was done.

"Chris, hi. What can I do for you?" asked Lorelai as she tried to tame down her annoyance at the timing he always seemed to have when he called.

"Who answered your phone, Lor?" Christopher asked with an almost hurt tone in his voice.

A slight feeling of guilt crept up but she quickly pushed it back down. This was ridiculous. They were not married anymore and she didn't have to explain to him her whereabouts and who she was with. But she didn't want to lie either.

"That was Luke," she said softly trying to avoid confrontation and hoped that he would move on to the reason he was calling.

"Oh. Well I've been trying to get a hold of Rory for the past couple of weeks. So either the reception sucks or she's avoiding me," he said with a self-deprecating chuckle.

"I've only talked to her a couple times on the phone over the past few weeks, Chris. Reception is terrible when they're on the buses but she does email. Try that next time," she paused for a second, "Look, I have to go. Just be patient, she'll reach out when she can."

Judging by the audible sigh she heard on the other end of the call, he was reluctantly taking the hint.

"Thanks for the reassurance, Lor."

"Take care, Chris."

After hanging up with Christopher, Lorelai went in search for Luke. She found him on the bed sprawled out on his back with one arm covering his face. She set her phone down on the tiny kitchen table and quietly walked the few feet over to the bedroom. She gently crawled onto the bed and sat facing Luke with both her knees pulled up to her chest.

"What was that about?" asked Luke calmly without removing his arm from over his face.

She rested her chin on top her knees. "He's been trying to get in touch with Rory. He thought maybe she was avoiding him or something. I told him the reception is usually bad and to try and email her instead."

Finally, Luke removed his arm that covered his face and sat up. Lorelai searched his face to see if there was any hint of anger there, but all she saw was concern. That phone call had definitely opened up an old wound and she was transported to a moment almost two years ago that felt eerily similar to this one. Only this time, she wouldn't let Christopher back in. Rory was a grown woman off on her own in the world. Their short time at being co-parents ended when Rory graduated from Yale.

"Luke, I need you to know that the relationship that Christopher and I have is not what it used to be. Rory is grown now and while we're still her parents, there's no reason for us to stay in touch. They can email and talk all they want, but it doesn't have to include me."

Lorelai noticed a slight look of relief wash over Luke's face. He reached out for her hand which she gratefully accepted. He rubbed his thumb over the back of her hand in slow, soothing circles.

"I trust you. We're both to blame for what happened between us. Hell, if anything I pushed you into Christopher's arms by being so damn blind to everything going on around me," he paused before continuing, "I forgave you a long time ago, Lorelai."

She smiled and nodded as relief and happiness flooded through her veins. In the past few weeks, they were able to talk about the big issues that previously plagued their relationship in such a calm, mature manner. They had both grown so much in the year they spent apart. They had hurt each other more times than they could count during the first two attempts at their relationship. Hopefully, this third time would indeed be the charm.

"So, I'd say we got some pretty big topics of discussion out of the way," said Lorelai as she stretched her legs out in front of her. Luke couldn't help but glance down at her long, tan, smooth legs.

"I'd say I definitely agree," said Luke as he reached out and rubbed her calf gently.

With a small smirk on her face, she decided to test the waters. "Would you say most of our bigger issues are now behind us?" Lorelai slowly sat up on her knees.

Hearing the low, sultry sound in her voice Luke caught on quickly. "Yep." He nodded as his eyes roamed down her barely covered, perfect body.

"Good." She reached behind her neck in one smooth motion and pulled the drawstring to her bikini loose, letting it fall to her waist. She carefully gauged his reaction and when she saw his blue eyes darken with arousal she knew he was on board. She untied the second string that was holding her top up and tossed the tiny scrap of fabric to the floor.

Within seconds, Luke was kneeling in front of her. She grabbed his cheek gently with one hand and placed a soft, lingering kiss on his lips. Luke reached up to thread his fingers through her hair and deepened the kiss. When he slipped his tongue inside her mouth, a small moan escaped her lips. Luke slid his hands down her ribcage and rested them at her hips. He gently pulled the drawstrings on her bikini bottoms and the fabric gave way and fell to the bed. When they both came up for air, panting with need, Lorelai started to undress Luke.

"You're wearing too much clothes," she purred as she pulled off Luke's t-shirt and then reached for the button on his khaki shorts. She admitted to herself that, while she loves flannel and jeans wearing Luke, shorts and a t-shirt Luke was currently in the running.

She unfastened the button and lowered the fly on his shorts. As their lips met again in another searing kiss, Lorelai's hand wandered south inside the front of Luke's boxer briefs. She gently stroked him which made him groan from deep in his throat. He peppered kisses across her cheek and to the sensitive spot behind her ear.

"Keep that up and this won't last much longer," he said as he nuzzled her neck and tried to fight the urge to thrust toward her.

"We can't let that happen now, can we?" said Lorelai breathlessly.

She removed her hand and gently nudged him to lay down. Once Luke was on his back, she pulled off his shorts taking his boxers with them. She slowly crawled over him letting the length of him lightly graze her as she straddled his hips. He reached up and gently cupped her breasts letting his palms softly brush her hardened peaks. Soon his mouth joined his hands on her chest and she grasped the back of his head to hold him there.

After laving both breasts with his tongue, he reached down between her thighs to feel that she was ready for him. He lifted her hips slightly, angling her right above his hardness, and she slowly sank down onto him. They both stilled for a minute, enjoying the connection they didn't realize they both had missed so much. Slowly, Lorelai started to rock her hips. Luke squeezed them slightly and met her thrust for thrust. It wasn't long before she started to quicken her pace.

She braced herself on the wall behind the bed. "Ohhh, I'm so close," she whimpered.

Luke sat up and captured her lips with his. He waited so long for this moment and he wasn't about to let it end just yet. He quickly flipped their positions and pinned her underneath his body without breaking the connection. He set a slow, rhythmic pace that was bound to drive her insane. Lorelai dragged her nails up Luke's smooth, muscular back and over his shoulders and down his chest as they both moaned in pleasure. He grabbed ahold of both of her thighs and brought them up to his waist. She immediately wrapped her long legs around him as be began to thrust deeper and quicker.

"Oh God, Luke!" Lorelai cried out at the sudden change in pace.

He could feel her walls tighten around him as she toppled over the edge crying out his name. And that was his undoing. After a few more thrusts, he released inside of her with a loud moan and collapsed onto his forearms with his head on her left shoulder.

After their breathing slowed down, Luke kissed the side of her neck softly. Lorelai turned to meet his gaze. Drowsy, blue, satisfied eyes stared back at him and for a moment he felt his heart stop. Tears suddenly filled her eyes and she gave him a small smile.

"I've missed you," whispered Lorelai.

"You have no idea," said Luke with a smile of his own.

For a while, they laid tangled up in post coital bliss. Luke was lying on his back with Lorelai tucked into his side facing him with the sheet pulled up to her hips.

"When I said 'I missed you' you know I wasn't just referring to the sex, right? I mean, don't get me wrong, it was _amazing_. It's always amazing, but I missed the connection we had too. Again, nothing sexual intended-"

He cut her off with a soft kiss. He couldn't help but chuckle. He knew her babbling capabilities were infinite.

"I knew what you meant. I've missed all of this too," said Luke in that gravelly voice she loved.

Lorelai smiled. She was so grateful to have found this amazing man who understood her and had patience for the way her mind worked. The silence was broken by a rumbling sound that came from Lorelai's stomach. Luke glanced at the clock on the small night table and saw that it was already noon. He kissed the top of her head before he sat up.

"I made lunch reservations for us at one o'clock," he said as he pulled on his discarded t-shirt and boxer briefs.

"Really? Where?" Lorelai sat up and pulled up the sheets to cover her bare breasts. Luke leaned forward and placed a quick peck on her lips

"It's a surprise. You have enough time to shower if you want, but make it quick. It's about a ten minute walk into town," said Luke as he walked to the fridge and grabbed a bottle of water.

Normally the thought of walking anywhere for ten minutes wouldn't exactly have appealed to Lorelai. But considering they've been cooped up on the boat for a few days, a walk didn't sound too bad.

As she stepped into the bathroom, she glanced at her reflection in the mirror. Even after applying generous amounts of sunblock, her skin still had a nice golden color to it. The ocean air actually hadn't wreaked havoc on her naturally curly hair. She decided against washing it since Luke was insistent that she be quick. She pulled her hair into a messy bun and stepped into the spacious shower.

She washed quickly and grabbed for a towel to dry off. With the towel wrapped around her, she undid the messy bun and shook out her curls. She grabbed her mousse and squeezed a dollop into her palm. She ran her fingers through her curls to give them a little more definition. She grabbed her makeup bag and pulled out some tinted moisturizer. She applied a little on her cheeks to even out the slight redness from the sun.

She walked into the bedroom to find Luke sitting on the bed tying his tennis shoes. He had on the same pair of khaki shorts but had pulled on a nice, snug, navy blue, collared shirt over his t-shirt. Lorelai couldn't help my grin at the sight of him. He stood and noticed the smile on her face.

"What?" he asked with a slight smirk of his own.

"Nothing. I'm just _really_ loving the sight of Casual Luke," said Lorelai.

Luke scoffed. "I'm always dressed casual."

"Not like this, Mister. I don't think I've ever seen you show so much skin. Well technically I have, but you know what I mean," said Lorelai with a giggle.

He walked over and kissed her temple. "Get dressed, Crazy Lady. We have to leave in about ten minutes," he said before walking up the steps and out onto the deck.

Since they were walking to the restaurant and it was rather warm, she decided on a spaghetti strapped denim dress with a pair of white, low top Converse shoes. She grabbed her cross-body purse from the counter in the kitchen and headed for the deck of the boat. As they walked through the little fisherman town, things started to look very familiar to Lorelai.

"Hey, Luke? What town did you say we were docked in?" Lorelai asked.

He smiled and looked down at her. "Perkins Cove is where we're docked but the town is Ogunquist, Maine."

Suddenly she knew exactly where they were headed for lunch. Barnacle Billy's. The same restaurant Lorelai suggested he take April. She hadn't been here since she was a kid but it looked exactly the same. The first level had outdoor seating that overlooked the water. Each table was covered with a giant, red umbrella for shade. There were also stairs that led to the upper deck of the restaurant that gave an even more beautiful view of the water and the sail boats that filled the waterway.

They opted for outdoor seating since it was shaded and being this close to the water provided a nice breeze. Since lobster was what she bragged about, lobster is what they ate. After a second round of drinks, draft beer for him and a delicious rum punch for her, Luke noticed Lorelai had gotten a little quiet.

"Hey, you feeling okay?" asked Luke hesitantly.

She met his gaze and quickly nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine." She paused for a few seconds before continuing, "How do you feel now about the possibility of us being married?"

It never fails. Just when Luke thinks he has a grasp on what she's thinking, she throws him a curveball. Not sure what her take on the topic was, he decided to tread lightly.

"I meant what I said. I always intended on marrying you, Lorelai, but I understand if your feelings on this has changed," he said trying to gauge her reaction.

She sighed slightly before looking up at him. "I love you, Luke. And I love that we're able to start moving forward. But I can't help but be reminded that _my_ frustration and selfishness over not getting married when _I_ wanted it to happen was part of the reason we fell apart."

She sniffled slightly and tried to blink back the tears that were threatening to fall. She took a sip of her cocktail and placed it back on the table before reaching for Luke's hand.

"I just want to be with you. If someday down the road we decide we want to get married and we're both on the same page, then by all means lets get married. But I can't let the talk of a wedding and marriage threaten to tear us apart again," she said hoping he would understand and not take things the wrong way.

Luke took a moment to formulate the words. He lifted up her hand to his lips and brushed a light kiss onto her knuckles. "How about when you're ready you let me know? As long as I'm with you, Lorelai, I don't care about anything else. I don't need to be married right now, I just need you."

Relief flooded through her body as she nodded and leaned in for a kiss.

They finished lunch and headed back through town. They stopped along the way at a small grocery store that reminded them a lot of Doose's. They grabbed the fixings to make chicken fajitas for dinner since the boat came equipped with an outdoor griddle. Once they made it back to the boat, Lorelai collapsed onto the bed.

"Man, I'm exhausted," groaned Lorelai as she kicked off her shoes.

After putting the groceries away, Luke did the same and crawled onto the bed. He pulled Lorelai toward him, her back flush against his chest.

After a few minutes, just as he was about to doze off, he heard her ask, "Did I ever tell you that my parents were going to buy us a house as a wedding present?"

She felt him tense slightly but she couldn't tell if it was out of shock or disgust.

"No, you didn't," he said trying to imagine how that conversation went down.

Luke wasn't surprised that he was not The Gilmore's favorite person, but he was surprised and a little heartbroken to hear that they had actually accepted his relationship with Lorelai enough to make such a lavish purchase.

"It was a beautiful house. Big. At least from what I could tell in the pictures," she said.

"Why are you telling me this?" asked Luke softly.

Lorelai turned onto her other side to face Luke. "Just because we decided to hold off on getting married right now doesn't mean I feel differently about you moving in and us living together. We remodeled my house for _us_ and I still want that to happen. I can understand if it'll be a little weird for you living there considering…everything, but whatever we can do to make the house feel more like ours and not just mine we _will_ do, Luke."

He gently brushed a curl out of her face and tucked it behind her ear. He placed a soft kiss on her forehead and pulled back to meet her gaze.

"Whatever makes you happy Lorelai," he said softly. "I'm not going anywhere, so if we live separately or together I'll be happy either way."

Lorelai smiled. Things were actually falling into place for her and Luke and she hoped it wasn't just from being secluded on a boat for two weeks. She leaned in and placed a gentle, lingering kiss onto his lips. Luke wrapped his arm around her waist and deepened the kiss. She threaded her fingers through the hair at the back of his head pulling him closer.

"So much for taking a nap," groaned Luke after he broke the kiss. Lorelai giggled as he rolled over on top of her.

"We can sleep when we're dead," she said before she pulled him down for another passionate kiss.

 **JULY 2007**

After four weeks on the water, Luke and Lorelai decided to cut the trip short and head back to Stars Hollow. Nothing beats getting away for a while, but it sure was nice to come back home. Lorelai couldn't help but fear that, once they weren't in their Luke and Lorelai bubble anymore, things would go back to how they originally were. She was quickly proven wrong.

Two weeks after returning home, Luke received a call from April letting him know that her six-week science camp was about to finish up and that she was looking forward to seeing him in a couple days. He told her that he had really good news and he couldn't wait to see her.

The next morning, Lorelai came into the diner for breakfast. She greeted him with a quick peck on the lips before taking a seat at her usual stool. They had both decided that they were not going to neither hide nor announce that they were back together. If the fact that they just spent a month away together didn't tip the town off, then something was definitely wrong with these people.

Luke grabbed a mug, filled it with coffee, and slid it in front of her.

"April called last night," said Luke as he methodically wiped down the counter.

A slight, panicked feeling washed over Lorelai. She tempered it down as best she could until she heard what he had to say. She grabbed her mug and took a few sips of coffee.

"Really? How was camp?" she asked.

"It was great. She's just about done and I'll be picking her up from the airport in a few days," Luke said with a warm smile.

Lorelai knew he had missed April especially with her living almost across the country. But she couldn't help but feel those old, familiar feelings like the shoe was about to drop, but it never did.

"I was hoping you would come with me. I told April I had some good news but I didn't tell her what it was. I thought it might be a nice surprise for her," he said as he tried to gauge her reaction.

Lorelai's eyes widened slightly. "Uh, y-yes," she stuttered. "I'd love to."

"Good. You know what you want?"

Lorelai shook her head slightly to clear it. "Uh, yes. French toast and a side of bacon, please."

Luke turned toward the kitchen and started to prepare her breakfast.

Lorelai was at a loss for words. She couldn't believe it. A year and a half ago this was all she wanted and now it was happening. She sipped her coffee and couldn't help but smile at how great things seemed to be going. Maybe their third time _would_ be the charm.

After a couple of minutes, Luke returned with her breakfast. Noticing the smile on her face he nodded towards her and asked, "What's with the smile?"

Lorelai simply replied, "You."

* * *

Two days later, Luke stopped by Lorelai's house to pick her up and head to the airport. She had decided, since they wouldn't be leaving until around noon, that she would put in a few hours at the inn. She had just finished changing into more comfortable clothes for the drive when Luke pulled in her driveway.

Since returning from the boat trip, they hadn't yet discussed Luke officially moving in. Things were very much like they were in the early stages of their relationship. He'd spent almost every night at Lorelai's except when he had early deliveries the next morning, to which she would happily stay at his apartment with him. For the both of them, it made sense. Neither one of them felt the need to rush things or to make any drastic changes to their lifestyles. Or so Lorelai thought. She knew the character reference letter she wrote for Luke helped him win partial custody, but she never thought to ask what the agreement actually entailed.

"You never told me what the judge awarded you in the custody case," said Lorelai about fifteen minutes into the drive.

Luke glanced in his rear view mirror and then signaled to switch lanes. "I get either Thanksgiving or Christmas, I left the choice up to Anna. Then one month out of the summer and when possible one weekend every other month," he said as he gave Lorelai a quick glance.

She nodded appreciatively. It didn't surprise her that Luke fought for his rights to April. Luke will do anything for the people he loves. She knew that first hand.

The night before they had talked about what the sleeping arrangement would be while April was in Stars Hollow. Lorelai insisted that she was fine if Luke preferred that he and April stay at the apartment. Luke insisted that it would be fine if they all stayed together at Lorelai's house.

"Luke, you're going to want to spend quality time with April and I'm totally cool with it. It's fine if you guys want to spend your nights at your place," Lorelai called from the bathroom as she grabbed for her toothbrush. Luke joined her and gave her a pointed look.

"And I understand what you're saying, but it makes more sense for us to stay here. She'll be helping out at the diner a couple days a week so we'll be spending plenty of quality time together," he paused before continuing, "unless it's because you don't want her staying in Rory's room."

Lorelai quickly shook her head and rinsed out her mouth. "That's not it at all. I don't mind and I know Rory wouldn't care. I just want April to be comfortable. Think about it. She's never been to the house. She's never been around us as a couple," she said pausing for a moment. "I just don't want it to be too much too soon."

Luke nodded slowly and then grabbed for his toothbrush. "How about we talk to April and see how she feels about all of this? One thing I've learned about her is that she has no problem telling you how something makes her feel," he said adding with a smirk, "she must get that from Anna."

Lorelai playfully swatted his arm. "Okay, but if there's any hint of awkwardness on her part we're going with plan B," said Lorelai with her finger pointed at Luke.

He rinsed his mouth and dried his face with a towel hanging on the wall by the sink. He turned out the bathroom light and climbed into bed next to Lorelai who was sitting up, deep in thought. He put his hand on her thigh and squeezed it gently.

"Hey, it's going to be fine. Stop worrying," said Luke softly.

She turned her head towards him and gave him a weak smile. "I just want it all to be perfect."

Back in the truck, Luke noticed that Lorelai looked a little spaced out. He reached for her hand a gave it a small squeeze.

"What's on your mind?" he asked calmly. Luke knew she was feeling anxious about April's visit but he was hoping it was more of a good kind of anxious.

"I was just thinking that if this works out and April is okay with being at the house then maybe we should talk about you officially moving in. I mean, you practically live there already, but maybe it will make things easier for April if she sees more of your things around the house. Oh! And you do realize we will be sharing a bathroom with a _teenager,_ right?" she said as she looked at him with her eyebrows raised waiting on his reaction.

Luke furrowed his brows slightly. He hadn't really thought of the bathroom situation and how awkward that could be.

"When we remodeled a few years ago, I remember Tom saying we had enough room to expand the kitchen. I wonder if there's enough room for another bathroom downstairs instead," said Luke as he steered the truck towards the exit for the airport.

Lorelai thought about it for a moment. It would make things a whole lot more comfortable especially if Rory comes home in between writing assignments.

"It definitely doesn't hurt to look into it. Let's just get through these next two weeks and see how it goes. Then we can get together with Tom and look at the options," said Lorelai as they exited the truck in the short-term parking garage and headed inside the airport.

As Luke suspected, April was surprised and extremely happy about her father getting back together with Lorelai. April had been pretty upset about having to cancel the boat trip Luke had planned for the both of them but when she heard he took Lorelai instead, she felt nothing but relief that her father didn't have to spend the majority of the summer alone.

They decided to go to Sniffy's on their way back to Stars Hollow. It had been a few months since Luke was able to stop in and he felt he had two very important reasons to visit today. Bud and Maisy hadn't seen April since she last visited during the hay bale maze. They also hadn't seen Lorelai in almost two years. They walked in and was immediately greeted by the happy, older couple. After hugs were exchanged, Maisy led them to the very same booth Luke and Lorelai shared on their first date. April slid in first and then Luke and Lorelai sat, one on each a side of April. They filled April in on all the PG rated aspects of their boat trip.

"Well it sounds like you guys had a fabulous time," said April as she nodded her approval.

Luke and Lorelai's eyes met and they shared a knowing smile. A few minutes later, Bud and Maisy returned with three plates filled with the special of the day. Luke gave them a good-natured eye roll but was too famished to try and put up a fight.

After they finished their meals, Luke gave Lorelai a slight nod to let her know he was about to bring up the long-awaited topic. He cleared his throat.

"April, how would you feel about us staying at Lorelai's place while you're here?" Luke asked looking for any hint of awkwardness on April's part.

She simply shrugged. "Okay," she said in her nonchalant tone of voice. "I assumed that was the plan when you told me you guys were back together. I couldn't imagine all three of us staying in your tiny apartment, no offense dad. It's a fabulous place for, lets say a bachelor or maybe a monk, but I'd say those days are definitely behind you. Am I right?" April asked, wide-eyed and waiting on Luke's response.

"I'd say you hit the nail on the head," said Luke with a slight chuckle.

* * *

The rest of their summer flew by rather quickly. April helped out at the diner three days a week. For Luke, it felt like old times. He helped Caesar in the kitchen while April waited tables. At lunchtime, they went up to the apartment for sandwiches or salads which made Luke happy that he could share his love of healthier foods with his daughter. Twice a week April would tag along with Lorelai to the inn and help out with Cletus and Desdemona in the stables. They would have lunch in the dining room and Lorelai promised to never tell Luke of his daughter's sweet tooth which she happily indulged.

The issue of sharing a bathroom hadn't come up until the afternoon of the Lazy Hazy Crazy Days festival. April would be leaving the day after and they were all glad, including Luke, that it worked out to where April could experience her first Stars Hollow summer festival. Both Luke and Lorelai had to work that morning, so April tagged along with Lane and the twins until Luke finished up at the diner. His supply order came in that morning, so Luke wanted to have it all put away before he left for the day.

Before the boat trip, he put Caesar in charge which meant that his supplies had somehow gotten rearranged. As he reached up to grab a jug of ketchup, he didn't notice the lid was missing. It slipped from his hands, landed on his chest, and splattered its contents all over Luke and the floor.

"You've got to be kidding me. Caesar!" he yelled.

"Yeah, Boss!" said Caesar cheerily until he noticed an angry, ketchup-covered Luke.

"Get someone to cover the grill, grab the mop, and get this mess cleaned up," said Luke through clenched teeth. "I'm going home to clean up. You think you can handle that?"

"Sure thing, Boss," said Caesar as he nodded nervously.

Luke removed his flannel, balled it up and tossed it in the trash. He left out of the back entrance to avoid walking through the diner in a red-stained t-shirt. Just as he walked up the back alley, his phone started to ring.

"Hey," he answered in a clipped tone.

"Aww, now see, you're supposed to save that sweet talk for the bedroom, Hon," said Lorelai without missing a beat.

Luke smiled. "Sorry. I made a mess of myself in the supply room, so I'm headed to your place to clean up since all of my toiletries are there. I'm going to find April and let her know just in case she goes to the diner looking for me," he said as he looked around the square for April.

"Well I'm heading home too. I wanted to stop in and change, then I was heading to the festival," said Lorelai as she climbed into her Jeep.

After hanging up with Lorelai, Luke found April and filled her in. He told her that they would meet up with her at the gazebo in about twenty minutes.

Lorelai pulled into the driveway as Luke was walking towards the steps. He turned and waited for her to exit the Jeep.

"Oh man! Look at you!" giggled Lorelai as she walked up and gave him a quick peck on the lips.

"Caesar forgot to put the lid on the jug of ketchup and this was the end result," said Luke as he gestured to himself before he followed Lorelai into the house and up the stairs.

She kicked her shoes off in the closet and followed him into the bathroom. She watched as he removed his t-shirt, jeans, and boxer briefs.

"Hmm, I gotta say. A Burger Boy covered in ketchup does sound amazing right about now," Lorelai purred as she walked up and gave Luke a soft, lingering kiss on the lips.

Luke wrapped his arms around her waist and deepened the kiss. They had abstained from any funny business in the house while April was there and it had definitely been taking its toll. Luke gently tugged at the tie to the side of Lorelai's wrap dress. When it fell open, he pushed the material down her arms until it landed on the floor. He left a trail of hot kisses across her jaw and to the sensitive spot under her ear. He moved down to her neck where he stopped to nip and suck gently.

"Luke," moaned Lorelai as he unfastened her bra and dropped it to the floor next to her discarded dress. She reached for his hardness and gave it a few, soft strokes.

He walked backwards pulling her with him and reached in to turn on the shower. He stooped and pulled Lorelai's thong down her legs and tossed the tiny scrap of material aside. He placed tiny kisses on her stomach making his way back up towards her breasts. She grabbed the back of his head holding him in place while his tongue worked it's magic. After a moment, Luke pulled the shower curtain open and they both stepped in. His lips found hers in another passionate, deep kiss.

With Lorelai's back pressed up against the wall of the shower, Luke reached down to lightly stroke her. He propped her left leg up on his right hip as she guided him towards her entrance. Just as he was about to enter her, he stopped at the sound of the front door slamming.

"Dad!"

Lorelai had to cover her mouth to keep from laughing at the pure panic that washed over Luke's face.

"Are you almost done?! I left my bag in the bathroom and I need my camera!" April called out from the landing on the stairs.

Luke shook his head slightly to try and clear the arousal-induced fog in his brain. "Yes!" he called out. "Just give me a minute and I'll bring your bag downstairs!"

They smirked at each other and gave a slight shake of the head. Both of them knew the moment was gone and they would have to back burner this hot, sexy shower escapade for when April went back to New Mexico. Luke quickly soaped up and rinsed off.

"You finish up. I'll grab her bag and hope to God she doesn't ask where you are," he said as he gave Lorelai a quick peck on the lips.

"Well, we might want to consider that second bathroom after all," giggled Lorelai as Luke exited the shower.

* * *

The next evening, after dropping April off at the airport, Luke stood in the doorway of the downstairs closet with his hands on his hips and lost in thought. Lorelai came downstairs and stood behind him. She wrapped her arms around his waist and rested her chin on his left shoulder.

"What are you thinking?" she asked softly.

Luke was quiet on the drive back from the airport. Lorelai had assumed it was mostly because he was bummed his time with April this summer had come to an end. Now she wasn't so sure.

"I'm thinking that, if we knock out this wall behind here, there actually is plenty of room for a bathroom. Nothing too enormous, but it could work," Luke said as he lifted his arm to wrap it around her shoulder.

"We'll call Tom and get him to draw something up. I'm sure he still has blueprints of the house." She paused for a moment before asking, "Is that all you were thinking about?"

Luke gave her a small smile before he kissed the side of her head. He closed the closet door and walked to the kitchen. He opened the fridge and took out two beers. Lorelai stood next to the counter by the coffee maker, unsure of how to gauge his mood. He opened both beers and handed one to her. He took a long pull from his bottle and set it down on the table.

"This was a really good summer, Lorelai. Probably one of the best I've had in a long time."

Lorelai sighed with relief and gave him a small smile. She took a sip of her beer and sat down at the table. "Man, you had me worried there for a minute. I thought maybe you were upset." She picked at the label on her bottle.

Luke pulled out a chair and sat down at the table. "I'm a little sad April's gone, but Christmas will be here before we know it," he said with a slight shrug. With a smirk he added, "Hopefully, by that time, we'll be able to avoid another embarrassing shower fiasco."

Lorelai giggled and took another swig of her beer. Luke finished the rest of his beer, rinsed out the bottle, and tossed it in the trash. Lorelai stood up and did the same. As she made her way towards the stairs, Luke stopped to make sure the backdoor was locked.

"Speaking of shower fiascos, we have some unfinished business to tend to, Burger Boy!" she called out from the stairs.

As Luke rounded the corner from the kitchen into the living room, he saw a pink t-shirt and a pair of sweat pants fly over the bannister. As he reached the stairs, he found Lorelai standing at the top of the steps, hands on her hips, wearing nothing but pink, lace cheekster panties. He swallowed hard at the site of her and pointed towards the front door.

"Let me lock up," said Luke and in that low, gravelly voice that always drove Lorelai crazy he added, "I don't plan on getting interrupted this time."

* * *

 **A/N:** In my mind, the boat that Luke ended up buying is a small yacht. He described it as having a small kitchen, bathroom, and sleeping area. He never said if it was a sailboat so after a little boat research (man those things are pricey!) I came up with it being a yacht because Luke could totally afford it.

I couldn't believe it when I looked it up but BARNACLE BILLY'S IS A REAL PLACE. It's just as Lorelai describes it and I definitely wouldn't mind eating there if I ever ventured off to Maine.

As far as Christopher is concerned, I don't plan on him having much interaction with the L's (much like it was in the revival). I fully believe that Lorelai understood the repercussions of having him in her life and that nothing good will ever come of them trying to be friends (which is not all that uncommon between two divorced parents of a child).

If you didn't notice, Lorelai is the one who brings up each and every possible life-altering event so far (marriage and their living situation). I don't believe for one second that Lorelai sat Luke down at some point and said "This is how it's going to be…" I don't think she realized until the Summer episode of the revival that Luke took the fact that she brought those things up to mean she was calling all the shots. She was simply letting him know how she felt and what she wanted and Luke happily obliged because he's Luke.

I think it's hilarious that the downstairs bathroom had returned for the revival! I felt the need to come up with a reason as to why they needed one. With Luke having partial custody of April it made sense that she would need her own bathroom because I thought that would be super awkward to go through your dads bedroom to use the one and only bathroom in the house.

As I said before, feedback is definitely appreciated. Now on to 2008…


	3. 2008

**JANUARY 2008**

"Luke!" yelled Lorelai from the downstairs bathroom. "If you're not down here in five seconds I'm leaving without you!"

"Promise?" said Luke as he came down the stairs adjusting his tie for millionth time.

"Oh, come on. You knew this day was coming. I told you. We can not keep putting it off or they'll think I made you up," said Lorelai as she put the finishing touches on her makeup.

Luke stood in the doorway to the bathroom with his hands on his hips. He was dressed in black slacks, a soft, grey buttoned-down dress shirt, and a black tie.

Lorelai turned towards him and smiled. "Well hey, handsome."

"So, does this look okay?" he asked, tugging on the collar of his shirt to loosen the tie.

Lorelai pretended to think about it. After a few seconds she shrugged and said, "Eh, it'll do."

Luke stared at her with his eyebrows raised, clearly not rising to the bait. Lorelai zipped up her makeup bag and placed it on the counter next to the sink. She checked her reflection one last time and turned off the light.

She brushed past Luke but not before she purred in his ear, "You look hot."

Luke quickly grabbed her wrist to pull her into his chest and wrapped his arms around her waist. " _You_ look hot," he said nuzzling her neck. "And you smell good too."

Lorelai giggled. "Well it's my new perfume that my dreamy boyfriend got me for Christmas."

"That boyfriend of yours did a good job picking it out," said Luke as he started to pepper soft kisses on her neck.

"Well it helped that I gave him a list of things I wanted," she said as she closed her eyes trying not to give in to his ministrations. Lorelai pulled back and looked him in the eyes. With her finger pointed at him she said, "I know what you're doing and we're going to have to press pause on this seduction scene you've got going on because my parents will kill me if we are late."

He exhaled loudly and leaned his forehead against hers. "Being around your parents always stresses me out," said Luke quietly.

Lorelai leaned in and placed a soft kiss on his lips. "I promise to destress you as soon as we get home, babe," she paused for a second before continuing, "Trust me, my parents have mellowed since the last time you saw them."

Luke was nervous for the entire drive. In the seven months since he and Lorelai had got back together, he was able to avoid all Gilmore get-togethers including Friday night dinners. Her parents knew the two of them had reconciled and seemed to be fine with the fact that Luke chose to keep his distance.

Since April was with Anna and Rory was in Iowa covering for the Obama campaign, Luke and Lorelai decided to spend Thanksgiving lunch with Liz, T.J., and Doula and Lorelai went solo to dinner afterwards at her parent's house. As per usual, the Gilmore's celebrated Christmas two weeks early and Rory was able to fly in to accompany her mother to the annual party, much to Lorelai's delight. A few days later, Richard and Emily left for Nantucket and all was calm in Luke's world. Until The Gilmore's returned a week after New Year's Day. Lorelai was working at the inn when she got the call that her parents were back.

"Dragonfly Inn, Lorelai speaking," Lorelai answered as she sorted through mail at the front desk.

"Lorelai, it's your mother. I was just calling to let you know your father and I made it home."

"Hey, Mom. How was your trip?" She took the cordless phone into her office and closed the door.

"It was wonderful. We're glad to be home though," Emily paused a second before continuing, "I wanted to talk to you about dinner Friday."

"I'll be there, Mom," said Lorelai distractedly as she responded to a few emails at her desk.

"I want you to bring Luke," said Emily so quickly that Lorelai thought she had misunderstood.

Lorelai froze and shook her head slightly. "U-uh, Luke?" she stuttered.

"Yes, Luke. The man you reconciled with seven months ago? Honestly, Lorelai. It's a little silly, if you ask me, that he refuses to join us for dinner. Your father and I have accepted the decision you've both made to give your relationship another go and if he's going to be around permanently we would like to get to know him better," said Emily with a hurt tone in her voice.

She couldn't ignore the sincerity in her mother's words. Lorelai knew that things were better between her and her parents, but she still felt this need to protect Luke. Things had been going so well for them without any outside interference and she didn't want to jeopardize anything, but she also agreed with her mother in that Luke _was_ permanent and would eventually have to be involved with her parents in some way.

"Okay, Mom," said Lorelai as she released her breath she didn't realize she was holding. "We will see you Friday night."

"Thank you, Lorelai," said Emily. "See you Friday."

Back in the Jeep, the uncomfortable silence was taking it's toll on Lorelai. She signaled to switch lanes and exited towards Hartford.

"Luke, I'm sorry I didn't check to make sure you were fine with dinner before I told my mother we would go. I just-," Lorelai paused for a moment, "I knew that if I did discuss it with you, you would convince me that's it's probably not a good idea considering everything that had happened in the past and then it would be the whole T.J. bathroom remodel debacle all over again and-"

"Lorelai," Luke interrupted as he placed a hand on her knee. "This is not the same as you telling T.J. he can come hang a towel rack and him taking it upon himself to start laying down tiles on the bathroom floor."

Lorelai sighed and gave Luke a quick glance. "I know that. But you told me not to involve T.J. and I didn't listen and now we're stuck with tiles that, although _look_ great, are not exactly built for comfort."

Luke smiled and gave her knee a light squeeze. "I'll tell you what," he said as he turned slightly in his seat. "I promise not to let my crazy family interfere unless we absolutely need their help and you promise me the same when it comes to your mother and we'll consider this all forgotten. Deal?"

Lorelai pulled into her parents driveway and cut off the engine. She turned to Luke and said, "I will try my best. And remember. I am your DD tonight, babe, so don't be afraid to ride the pink elephant."

They both exited the Jeep and walked to the front door. Lorelai looked at Luke and took a deep breath before ringing the doorbell.

After a moment, Emily opened the door and greeted them with a warm smile.

"Hello Luke. Lorelai. Won't you come in?" said Emily as she ushered them inside and closed the door.

Two hours later, Luke and Lorelai came in through their front door.

"Admit it," giggled Lorelai as she hung her coat up on the rack in the foyer. "That was a pretty pleasant evening, my friend."

Luke chuckled before removing his coat and hanging it next to Lorelai's. "I admit, I did enjoy the look of shock on your dad's face when I told him I switched insurance companies on the diner because of his suggestion a few years back."

"Man, I wish I had my camera! Rory would have loved that." Lorelai laughed as they headed upstairs.

Dinner had actually gone very smoothly. Both Richard and Emily seemed to have a genuine interest in April and how things were going for Luke since the custody agreement. There was no talk of the past, no talk of Christopher, and Luke only needed one glass of scotch to settle his nerves upon arrival. The only talk of old ghosts was when Richard brought up the topic of Luke franchising his diner. Luke and Lorelai were put at ease, however, when Richard simply mentioned he was glad Luke didn't go through with it due to the recession that hit at the end of December.

Up in their bedroom, Luke changed out of his dress clothes. He pulled on a t-shirt and a pair of sweat pants and joined Lorelai in the bathroom.

"How you feeling there, Cool Hand?" asked Lorelai before drying her face on a towel by the sink. She leaned against the wall with a smirk and added, "You know, my offer to destress you still stands."

Luke met her gaze in the reflection of the mirror as he grabbed for his toothbrush.

"Now that you mention it, I do still feel a little bit stressed out," he said as he popped his toothbrush into his mouth and quickly brushed his teeth. After he rinsed and dried his face he asked with a smile, "And what do you propose we do about it?"

Lorelai pushed herself off the wall and wrapped her arms around his neck. She placed a soft kiss on his lips, his cheek, his jaw, and finally right below his ear. She bit down lightly on his earlobe causing a low growl from deep in Luke's throat. She licked and kissed her way down his neck until she reached his Adam's apple. She pulled back and met his aroused gaze head on.

"How am I doing so far?" whispered Lorelai with a devilish grin on her face.

Luke swallowed hard and nodded slightly. "That is definitely doing the trick."

He captured her lips in a heated kiss and their tongues battled for control. He slowly walked her backwards towards the bedroom. She broke the kiss just long enough to fall back onto the bed. She pulled Luke down on top of her and recaptured his lips, pouring all of her love and gratitude into the kiss.

 **FEBRUARY 2008**

It was a Thursday afternoon when Lorelai bounced excitedly into the diner.

"Look, look, look!" she said in a singsong voice as she placed a small bag on top of the counter.

Luke grabbed a mug, filled it with coffee, and placed it in front of her. He put his palms on the counter and leaned in to give her a kiss. Lorelai took a quick sip of coffee before reaching into the mystery bag. She pulled out a small, black box.

Luke gave her a confused look. "Am I supposed to know what that thing is?"

"Luke, it's called an iPhone," Lorelai giggled. "Come on, I told you about it. They're supposed to be great! You can take amazing pictures, send email, listen to music. I can add things to my calendar too, see? Oh look. Valentine's Day is next Thursday so I'll add an event." She typed something onto the phone and held it up so Luke could read it.

"Hot date with BB," he read aloud. He looked at her curiously, "Who is BB?"

"Burger Boy," said Lorelai as if the answer were obvious. She put the phone back into the box and placed it in the bag

Luke made the rounds, checking on the few customers that were in the diner. When he returned behind the counter, he noticed Lorelai lost in thought. Her chin rested on her palm and she was lightly drumming her fingertips on her cheek.

He grabbed a few tickets to sort through from the morning rush. Without looking up he asked, "Reconsidering your purchase?"

"Hmm? Oh, no," said Lorelai as she shook her head slightly. "I was just thinking that this will be our first Valentine's Day that we actually spend together. And I know you say that Valentine's Day is just another one of those fake things created by greeting card companies, but we broke up the first time right before and then we went to the vineyard the following year, but that was the weekend before the actual day itself." Lorelai shrugged slightly. "I'm just glad we're in a better place this year."

Luke couldn't help but smile at her. It wasn't lost on him that their weekend in Martha's Vineyard was somewhat of a tipping point in their relationship and he was more than ready to make it up to her this year.

He reached for her hand across the counter and said, "I'm glad too." 

* * *

A week later Lorelai awoke and saw a tall, skinny, glass vase holding a single white rose with a pink tip on her night table. She smiled brightly at the sight of it and reached for her phone to call the diner.

"Luke's," answered the man himself.

"Thank you for my flower. Are you busy?"asked Lorelai as she sat up in the bed.

"Nah, it's not too bad right now. You should have seen this place earlier though. Caesar's been experimenting with pancake art and decided to do a Valentine's Day themed batch of heart-shaped pancakes." Luke chuckled slightly. "But apparently they were a hit, so what can you do?"

"Pancake art? Wow, sorry I missed it," she said as she climbed out of bed and headed for the bathroom. She reached into the shower and turned it on. "So what exactly are our plans for tonight?"

"Just be home by six and leave the rest up to me," said Luke in that low, deep voice he reserved just for her.

"Mmm, I like the sound of that," she said as she grinned at her reflection in the mirror.

An hour later she was showered, dressed, and caffeinated. One of the many good reasons of sharing a home with Luke was the never-ending stash of his special coffee blend.

She pulled up at the inn and walked in through the back door of the kitchen.

"Hey, Manny, where's Sookie?" asked Lorelai as she reached for the pot of coffee and a mug.

"I think in the pantry?" said Manny as he chopped vegetables on a cutting board by the stove.

Lorelai made her way through the kitchen and into the pantry where she found Sookie taking inventory.

"Morning, Sook," said Lorelai before taking a quick sip of coffee.

Sookie held up a finger as she counted aloud, "…18, 19, 20. Morning, honey. Happy Valentine's Day!"

"Same to you. Sooo, were you guys able to snag a sitter willing to take care of three kids all under the age of four for tonight?" asked Lorelai as she leaned against the wall of the pantry.

"No need. Jackson is on his way, as we speak, to drop the kids off at his sister Adele's house for a few nights. It's actually the first time all the kids will be gone since Vivian was born."

"Score!" said Lorelai as she polished off the rest of her coffee.

"What about you guys? Did you ever find out what Luke has planned?" asked Sookie as she resumed counting supplies on the shelf.

"All he told me was to be home by six," said Lorelai with a shrug. "I feel a little guilty though. I brought up the fact that this is our first _real_ Valentine's Day together. I just hope I didn't put too much pressure on him to make tonight perfect."

Sookie wrote a few things down on an order form and looked up a Lorelai. "I seriously don't think that's possible," she said with a chuckle. "Luke is the king of romantic gestures. The chuppah, the ice rink, the giant tarp-covered party. I think he knows what he's doing, Lorelai."

At 6:05, Lorelai practically ran into the house. "I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry!" she yelled as she closed the front door. She removed her coat as she continued talking. "The computer went down, so I was on the phone with the help desk and-"

She stopped in the doorway to the kitchen as she watched Luke pull a giant lasagna out of the oven. She looked towards the table and noticed it was set for two, with each their own glass of wine. Luke placed the lasagna on a fabric trivet in the middle of the table and grabbed one glass of wine. He was freshly showered, hair a little damp, and wearing just a t-shirt and jeans. He handed Lorelai her wine and gave her a soft kiss on the lips.

"Hi," Luke said softly as he tucked a curl behind Lorelai's ear.

"Hi back," she said as she took a quick sip before setting the glass down on the counter. She wrapped her arms around Luke's neck and he rested his hands at her waist.

"So, we're staying in tonight?" Lorelai asked with a flirty smile as she went in for another kiss.

Luke gave her hips a slight squeeze as he pulled back with a smile.

"Yep. _You_ have a candlelit bubble bath waiting for you upstairs. Then we will eat dinner. I also made that ricotta cheesecake that you love for dessert. _And_ I also picked up a few movies for us to watch."

Lorelai gasped. "Really? What movies did you get?"

"I picked up 'Say Anything…' and 'St. Elmo's Fire'," said Luke with a smirk.

Lorelai's jaw dropped. She pointed her finger at him and said, "You, Mister, are getting so lucky tonight."

She gave Luke a quick kiss, grabbed her wine, and bounced up the stairs. When she entered the bedroom, the site in front of her almost brought her to tears. Luke had a trail of rose petals leading from the bedroom door to the bathroom. There were little tea light candles everywhere. They were on top the sink, around the garden tub, and even on the window sill. She set her wine glass down on the edge of the tub and stripped off her clothes.

She sank into the tub and exhaled. "Ahh…"

Forty-five minutes and an empty wine glass later, she slowly made her way down the stairs wearing a soft t-shirt and leggings. She walked into the kitchen just as Luke pulled out some garlic bread from the oven. He sliced up the bread and placed it in a cloth-covered basket. He wiped his hands on a towel and grabbed the bottle of wine to refill Lorelai's glass.

"Man, I almost fell asleep up there," said Lorelai as she took a seat at the table. She smiled as she watched him plate their food and refill his own glass of wine.

"Liz gave me this essential oil to add to the bath water. Something about it helping you relax," said Luke with a slight shrug.

"Well between that and a glass of wine, it did the trick." Lorelai took a bite of lasagna while Luke started on his small salad. "Oh my god, Luke!" gushed Lorelai through stuffed cheeks. "This is amazing! Why have I never had this before?"

Luke shrugged. "I don't make it that often. It took so many tries to get the recipe right I kind of got sick of eating it." He finished his salad and took a bite of his lasagna.

"Well, we are definitely adding this to the 'Why I Love Living With Luke' list," said Lorelai as she polished off the rest of her piece and grabbed a slice of garlic bread.

A few hours later they were snuggled on the couch. Luke sat in the middle with Lorelai tucked into his right side eating her piece of cheesecake.

"I know I've said it before but Rob Lowe, in his underwear, playing the saxophone is still incredibly hot." She took her last bite and leaned forward to place her empty plate on the coffee table. As the ending credits began to roll, Lorelai turned and laid her head on Luke's shoulder.

"So what's next on this little agenda of yours?" she asked softly as she placed an open-mouth kiss on his neck.

Luke's hand went up the back of her shirt, stroking her soft skin lightly as she gently sucked and nibbled the side of his neck.

"What you're doing will definitely work for me," said Luke in that low, gravelly voice.

Lorelai slowly swung her right leg over him and straddled his lap. She started to give the other side of his neck the same attention. Soon both of his hands were under her shirt cupping and lightly squeezing her bare breasts.

Lorelai trailed hot kisses across Luke's scruffy jaw. She paused, with their lips barely touching, both panting with need. She gently tugged his bottom lip with her teeth, sucking it into her mouth.

Luke was completely lost in the feel of her soft skin and the taste of wine and cheesecake on her lips. He pulled her shirt up and over her head and tossed it behind the couch. His hands went back to work as he placed a thousand tiny kisses on her neck. Soon his mouth joined his hands on her breasts and she grasped his head to hold him there.

After several minutes of sensual torture, Lorelai was ready to kick things up a notch. She signaled for Luke to raise his arms so she could pull his t-shirt over his head. She ran her hands down his shoulders, to his arms, and then up through the light smattering of hair on his chest. She encircled his neck with her arms and leaned her forehead against his.

"Take me to bed," she said in a low, husky voice.

Luke grabbed the back of her thighs and stood as he held her in place. He climbed the stairs and walked towards their bedroom. He laid her on her back and slowly kissed his way down her neck, her throat, the valley between her breasts, and stopped just below her navel. He stood up and slowly pulled her leggings down her long legs, pleased to find her bare underneath. She let her legs fall open in invitation. Luke quickly took the bait and found her sweet spot instantly.

"Ohh," she moaned as she thread her fingers through his hair and tugged gently. "God, don't stop…"

Lorelai was completely drowning in pleasure and, within minutes, quickly reached her peak as she cried out Luke's name.

After she came down from her high, he placed a soft kiss on her inner thigh and stood up. Lorelai sat up, placed two fingers inside the waistband of Luke's jeans and tugged, which forced him to take a step closer to her. She met his gaze as he smiled down at her. She gently traced his erection through the soft denim of his jeans causing a small moan to escape from his throat. She quickly made work of the button and unzipped the fly. She pulled down on his jeans and boxer briefs until they fell to the floor and he quickly kicked them aside. She grabbed his shoulders and slid off the bed to stand in front of him.

"Lay down, Burger Boy," she purred with a devilish grin.

Luke did as he was told. He placed one arm behind his head and the other across his stomach.

Lorelai crawled onto the bed and stopped in between his thighs. She took his hardness in her hand and gave it a few strokes before she leaned over and took him into her mouth.

"Lorelai," groaned Luke as he immediately covered the back of her head with his hand and gently massaged her scalp. After a few minutes, he nudged her shoulders gently.

"Come here," he said breathlessly as he reached for her hands.

She took his hands and rose up on her knees. She spread them apart so that she straddled his hips. Luke sat up and cupped her face. He plunged one hand into her hair and pulled her close as he captured her lips. As their tongues swirled, Luke reached down and gently stroked her which caused Lorelai to moan into his mouth.

"Luke, I need you," said Lorelai as she panted with desire.

He quickly flipped their positions and entered her in one thrust causing her to gasp slightly. He set a deep, quick pace and before long she toppled over the edge once again. After a few more thrusts he released inside of her, grinding her name out before he collapsed onto his forearms.

As their breathing slowed, he reluctantly broke the connection and rolled over onto his back pulling her against his chest. He caressed the soft skin of her back as she drew lazy circles on his chest.

After a few minutes, Lorelai propped her chin up on his chest and looked into his blue, satisfied eyes.

"Thank you for tonight. For a man of few words, you sure know how to let your actions speak. And I love you for that," she said with a smirk.

Luke smiled down at her. "I love you too."

 **APRIL 2008**

On a Sunday afternoon, Luke decided that the diner was slow enough for him to duck out and head upstairs to his old apartment. He always expected to feel a pang of sadness every time he went up there, but he never did. The apartment was mostly empty except for the kitchen table, which he used mostly as a desk, and the two beds. He kept a few flannels and a pair of jeans there in case of an emergency. He pulled out his cell phone and took a seat at the table. He scrolled until he found the name he was looking for and pressed the call button to connect.

"Hey, Luke!" said Rory cheerfully.

"Hey, Rory. How's life on the road treating you?" asked Luke as he tapped a pencil nervously on the notepad in front of him.

"Not too bad. I'm actually on my way to Pennsylvania right now," she said as she finished typing some notes on her laptop.

Luke cleared his throat. "That's kind of why I was calling. You know that, what your mom is referring to as D-Day, is next week and I wanted to plan something special for her."

"Oh man, she's referring to her 40th birthday as D-Day?" chuckled Rory with a slight shake of her head. "What did you have in mind?"

"Well I was hoping that you would have some time off next week and we can plan to meet up in New York. I was thinking a Broadway show for her and I and then maybe a girls day for you two. My treat," said Luke as he wrote down a couple of ideas.

Rory pulled her calendar up on her computer and sighed. "Next week won't work for me. I'll be in Missouri. I'm free this weekend though. We're headed to Grantham first and then Wednesday I'll be in Philly at the National Constitution Center. How about I meet you guys in New York Saturday morning?" She closed her laptop and placed it in her bag.

Luke paused for a moment as his mind started to race. "You know, that may actually work. If it's this weekend she won't be suspecting anything and it won't interfere with your grandparents in case they had something planned for her." Luke stood up from the table and tore off the piece of paper he was writing on. He folded it up and placed it his shirt pocket.

"Okay. So I will meet you guys Saturday. Just let me know which hotel and room number. I'll be David Spade in 'Tommy Boy' pretending to be housekeeping and surprise her," giggled Rory.

"And I'll pretend to know what you're talking about," chuckled Luke. "Thanks Rory. She'll be excited to see you."

"Thanks for including me. Bye, Luke." 

* * *

On Wednesday night, Luke cleaned up from their dinner while Lorelai sat on the couch and watched American Idol.

"Aww, Kristy Lee got voted off. I liked her," she said in a disappointed tone.

Luke dried the last of the dishes and joined her on the couch. He decided he would let her in on his birthday plans but he wanted to keep the fact that Rory would meet them there a surprise.

He placed a hand on her knee. "So, I have some thoughts on your birthday."

Lorelai scoffed. "You mean D-Day?"

"Lorelai, turning forty is not the end of the world."

"Easy for you to say! Men get better with age. It's all down hill from here, babe."

Luke grabbed the remote out of her hand and turned off the tv. He placed it on the coffee table and took Lorelai's legs into his lap which caused her to turn and face him. He started to massage her sock-covered feet.

"Do you want to hear my plans or not?" he asked patiently with a small smirk on his face.

She pursed her lips and pretended to think about it for a second. "Okay, hit me. But remember, five years ago I got $75,000 and a giant pizza. You've got some tough competition, my friend."

Luke gave her a good-natured eye roll. "How about a weekend in New York?" Luke watched her eyes light up and he couldn't help but smile.

"Really?" said Lorelai in awe.

"Yep, we're taking the train from Hartford on Friday-"

"Friday? But my birthday is _next_ Friday and I'm not even sure if I can get away from the inn with just two days notice. Not to mention-"

"Lorelai," said Luke as he gave her foot a squeeze to stop the babbling. "I already checked with Sookie. They have everything covered. I chose this weekend because I wasn't sure if your parents had anything planned since your birthday falls on Friday and also because of another surprise but you'll have to wait until Saturday to find out what it is."

Lorelai stared at him adoringly. She pulled her legs from his lap and scooted closer to him. She rested her head on his shoulder and intertwined their fingers.

"So, we're taking the train from Hartford on Friday," she urged him to continue.

"Which puts us in Manhattan around one o'clock. I booked us two nights at The Roosevelt and I got us tickets for Friday night to go see 'Cat on a Hot Tin Roof'. It opened last month and the reviews are pretty good," said Luke as he rubbed the soft skin on the back of her hand.

Lorelai looked up at him with a smile. "And it has nothing to do with the fact that Darth Vader plays the patriarch?"

"James Earl Jones is not Darth Vader. He's just the voice and no," said Luke as he brushed a stray hair off of her face.

"Hmm, well then, it looks like I have some shopping to do. I need a new dress to wear to the show," she said lost in thought as she made a mental list of what to pack.

"Nope, I already took care of that," said Luke as he stood and pulled a shocked Lorelai up with him.

He took the stairs two at a time with Lorelai close on his heels. He went into their closet, to his much smaller side, and pulled out a silky, black dress. It was an A-line cut with a sweetheart neckline. The length would most likely stop a few inches above her knee. Judging by her jaw that was on the floor, he knew that he did good.

"H-how? When?" stuttered Lorelai as she held the dress out in front of her and fingered the soft fabric.

Luke shrugged nonchalantly. "I had some free time this week." He nodded towards the dress. "So, you like it?"

"Like? That's an understatement," giggled Lorelai and hung the dress on a hook attached to the closet door. She walked over to Luke and wrapped her arms around his neck. She leaned her forehead against his.

"You're the perfect man," said Lorelai softly before she lightly brushed her lips against his.

Luke wrapped his arms around her and pulled her flush against his body as he deepened the kiss. In between hot, open-mouthed kisses down her neck he said, "You're the most beautiful, sexy, and amazing woman I know."

Lorelai closed her eyes and tilted her head to give him more access. "Keep talking, Cool Hand," she said breathlessly as she ran her hands underneath his flannel and t-shirt to feel the warm, smooth skin of his back. 

* * *

Friday morning Luke's alarm went off at 7:00 a.m. He rolled over to hit the snooze button and rolled back to face Lorelai, who slept peacefully. They needed to be at the train station in Hartford by at least 9:15 a.m., so he wanted to get an early start.

He slowly got out of bed and made his way downstairs to start her coffee. He put their suitcases in the truck and took Paul Anka over to Babette's. He went back upstairs and headed for the bathroom. He turned the shower on and closed the door so he wouldn't wake her up. He showered and grabbed for a towel to dry off. He wrapped the towel around his waist and went into the bedroom. He pulled a clean pair of boxer briefs and a t-shirt out of his dresser drawer and dropped his towel to the floor.

"Man, starting my birthday weekend off with a strip tease," croaked Lorelai. She was still laying in bed but her head was propped up on her forearm.

"I thought you were still asleep." He quickly pulled on his underwear and t-shirt and sat down on the bed next to her. He kissed her bare shoulder softly and tucked a curl behind her ear.

"I smelled coffee," she said sleepily. She looked up at him curiously. "How are you up so early? We were both up _pretty_ late last night," she said as she waggled her eyebrows suggestively.

"Well, Miss 'my libido may disappear once I turn forty', I'm used to getting up at five in the morning. Seven o'clock for me is not early," said Luke with a shrug.

Lorelai held her hands up in mock defense. "You have one week left of sleeping with a woman in her thirties. I'm just making sure you get it all in," Lorelai said and without missing a beat she chuckled, "Ha! Dirty."

Luke shook his head slowly in amusement. No matter what age she was, Lorelai would always be Lorelai and he loved her for that.

He glanced at the clock. It was almost 8:00 a.m. He gave her a quick peck on the lips, stood up and walked over to the closet. He took out a pair of jeans and pulled them on. He grabbed a flannel and put his arms through the sleeves. He buttoned it up as he walked out of the closet.

"What time does the train leave?" he heard her call from the bathroom. He walked in just as she entered the shower.

"The train leaves at ten but I wanted to be in Hartford at least forty-five minutes before that, just in case. So we need to leave here no later than 8:45," said Luke as he grabbed for his toothbrush.

He quickly brushed his teeth and placed his toothbrush into the toiletries travel bag on the counter of their double sinks. He went into the bedroom and picked up his forgotten towel. He hung it on a hook next to the shower and grabbed a clean, dry one for Lorelai.

She showered quickly and avoided washing her hair since she knew he was anxious to hit the road on time. She grabbed for her towel and dried off. She exited the shower, hung her towel next to Luke's, and put on her robe. She applied moisturizer to her face and quickly brushed her teeth. She shook out her curls and sprayed a little dry shampoo to add some volume. She placed her things in the travel bag and zipped it shut.

She walked to the closet and pulled out a pair of jeans, a navy blue sweater, and a grey scarf. She grabbed her favorite pair of Frye boots and headed back into the bedroom. She dressed quickly, grabbed her phone, charger, and travel bag and headed downstairs.

Luke was just pouring her coffee into a travel mug when she entered the kitchen.

"Nothing is hotter than watching my man pour me coffee," she said as she reached into the cabinet and grabbed a pack of Pop-Tarts.

He handed her her mug and gave her a quick kiss. "You all set?" he asked as he grimaced at her proffered piece of brown sugar cinnamon goodness.

She popped the piece into her mouth and said, "Let's hit the road, Jack."

They arrived at Penn Station around 12:45 p.m. Their all night round of love making had caught up to them about a half hour into the train ride. They dozed off for about an hour with Lorelai's head on Luke's shoulder and his head on the back of his seat.

They wheeled their luggage outside of the train station and stopped to look around. It was a beautiful, spring day in New York. They both watched as the hustle and bustle of the busy streets passed them by.

"Did you want to grab a cab and go check-in at the hotel?" Luke asked.

"How far is it from here?"

"About a twenty-five minute walk."

"Cab it is," said Lorelai with a nod.

They arrived at The Roosevelt ten minutes later. They checked in at the front desk and took the elevator up to the top floor. After placing their suitcases against the wall of the suite, Lorelai made her way to the window to check out the view. The room faced East 45th Street and to her left, Lorelai could see the MetLife building and Grand Central Station.

Luke walked up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. He kissed the side of her head and rested his chin on her shoulder.

"The show is not until eight o'clock tonight. Did you want to walk around, maybe grab something to eat?"

"Sounds good," said Lorelai as she leaned into his embrace.

They found a little pizza place around the corner from the hotel. After they polished off their slices, they made their way up East 45th Street to Fifth Avenue. They stopped at a few stores as they made their way back around to Madison Avenue. Before they knew it, it was already 4:00 p.m.

Luke unlocked the door to their suite and ushered Lorelai inside. She placed her bags on the table in the corner of the room and sat down on the couch to remove her boots.

"I love shopping but I forget how exhausting it is," said Lorelai with an exaggerated groan as she crawled onto the bed.

Luke kicked off his shoes and did the same. He laid on his back with one arm behind his head and the other on his stomach. Lorelai rolled over and tucked herself into his side. He immediately brought down his arm and wrapped it around her.

"Maybe you should set your alarm in case we doze off," said Luke sleepily with his eyes closed.

Lorelai reached around and grabbed her phone out of her back pocket. She set the alarm for 6:00 p.m. and put the phone on the side table next to the bed. "Done."

A few hours later, Luke and Lorelai stood outside The Roosevelt, dressed to the nines and waiting for the concierge to hail them a taxi. It was colder than Luke suspected, considering the barely there sleeves of the dress he chose, so he was glad when Lorelai insisted they stop that afternoon and pick up some warmer coats.

They made it to the Broadhurst Theater with fifteen minutes to spare and were quickly ushered to their seats. Lorelai leaned over and with a smile she whispered, "If I forget to tell you later, I had a really good time tonight. Some 'Pretty Woman' humor for ya."

Three hours later, they arrived back at the hotel. Since it had been a pretty long day, they opted for room service instead of going to dinner. Lorelai convinced Luke to wear their matching robes as they ate dinner and watched a movie. Halfway into 'Definitely, Maybe' Lorelai looked over to see Luke had fallen asleep as he leaned against the headboard.

With a small smile, she slowly crawled over to him and carefully untied his robe. She was pleased to see that there were no barriers beyond it. She placed light kisses on his neck and made her way down to his chest. She looked up at his face and saw no sign of life which was the complete opposite from his bottom half. She untied her own robe and slithered out of it. She carefully swung her leg over him to straddle his lap. She slowly started to kiss the other side of his neck.

"Luke," she whispered into his ear before she bit down gently on it.

"Mmm," he groaned and instinctively wrapped his arms around her waist, surprised to feel her naked on top of him.

"Are you too tired? Because I gotta tell you…" She reached behind her and stroked his hardness. "You don't _feel_ tired."

"Jesus, Lorelai," moaned Luke before he captured her lips in a passionate kiss. 

* * *

The next morning Lorelai awoke to a tapping sound coming from the door to the suite. She lifted her head and listened but heard nothing. As soon as she lay back down, she heard the tapping noise again followed by someone saying "housekeeping". She looked around the room for Luke but didn't see him and figured he was in the bathroom. She grabbed her robe off the floor and pulled it on.

"You've got to be kidding me," she grumbled as she made her way to the door of the suite.

She opened the door to find Rory standing next to Luke, who held a coffee carrying tray in one hand and a box of Dunkin' Donuts in the other.

"Oh my god!" she squealed as she pulled Rory in for a massive hug.

Luke squeezed past them and placed the items down on the table. He stood with his hands on his hips and watched them with amusement.

"I can't believe you're here," said Lorelai not willing to loosen the grip she had on her daughter.

" _I_ can't believe I'm here," chuckled Rory and pulled back to look at her mother.

Lorelai nodded toward Luke and said, "I didn't even hear you leave. I must have been dead to the world."

"Yep, you were pretty out of it," he said as he walked over with her coffee.

With a smirk Lorelai responded, "Well that's what happens after a long night of-"

"Bah, bah, bah!" interrupted Rory with one hand up and the other covering her ear. "You slept in. That's all I need to know."

They all sat at the table in the corner of the suite and ate breakfast. Rory filled them in on the events from that week and her trip to Philly. Since the hotel came equipped with a spa, Lorelai and Rory decided to go get facials. Luke headed to the gym to run for a little while on the treadmill.

After about an hour, Luke returned to the suite and quickly showered. He just finished tying his shoes when they came through the door.

"Hey, how was it?" he asked as Lorelai walked over and sat on his lap.

"Relaxing," she said before she gave him a soft kiss on the cheek. "Thank you."

"You're welcome. Are you guys hungry? I thought we could venture out and get some lunch," said Luke as he looked from Lorelai to Rory.

"Starved," they said in unison.

"Let me go change real quick," said Rory as she grabbed her suitcase and went into the bathroom.

Lorelai wrapped her arms around Luke's neck and placed a soft, lingering kiss on his lips. "I can't believe you arranged for Rory to meet us here. I don't think it's possible for me to love you anymore than I do right now," said Lorelai shaking her head slightly with a look of adoration on her face.

"It's no big deal," he said with a shrug. "I told you I like to see you happy." 

* * *

**A/N:** I wanted to address the issue of Luke's comment about him and Lorelai "striking a deal" and that she is supposed to keep her family from him and vice versa. The reaction that Lorelai had to that statement in the revival made me think that either a.) It happened so long ago that she didn't remember or b.) That it wasn't made clear to her that there was an actual deal being made. That being said, I tried to combine both of those theories and hopefully it made sense. Also, it really seemed as though Luke had a decent relationship with Emily in the revival so I like to think they came to somewhat of a truce. The fact that Richard left him money in his will to franchise Luke's will be addressed later on but for now R&E are treading lightly.

For some reason I see Sookie and Jackson with another girl. In real life, Melissa McCarthy's first daughter was named Vivian so that's where the name came from.

In case anyone is wondering, the dress that Luke buys for Lorelai is based off of the Temperley London dress that Lauren Graham wore to the Flash of Genius premiere in 2008. Google it, she looked AMAZING.


	4. 2009

**MAY 2009**

It was another Saturday, mid-afternoon lull and Luke stood behind the counter as he methodically wiped it down. He heard the bells chime and looked up to see Jackson and Davey enter the diner.

"Luke! How ya doin' buddy?" Jackson called out before he and Davey sat down on each a stool.

"Hey," said Davey quietly as he rested his chin on top his folded arms on the counter.

Luke nodded towards the two of them. "Not too bad. What brings you two in here today? Can I get you something?"

"Actually I have a favor to ask you. We just signed Davey up for T-ball and they mentioned something about needing an extra coach because the head coach is having to help out the Little League team and since I have no clue about baseball let alone teaching it, I thought I'd ask you," said Jackson as he slightly hesitated on that last part.

"Oh, gee. I don't know if I'll have the time," said Luke as he rubbed the back of his neck.

"It'll only be a few days a week. An hour or so at the most," pleaded Jackson.

Luke stared for a second at Jackson and then looked at Davey, who stared at him with big, green eyes that reminded him of Sookie.

Luke exhaled loudly. "Fine. Count me in."

Jackson sighed with relief and reached to shake Luke's hand. "Thanks, man! The kids will be so excited, right Davey?" asked Jackson as he looked towards his son.

"Yep," said Davey with a nod.

"Well, if they're as quiet as you, we'll get along just fine," said Luke with a smirk as he offered his hand to Davey who gave him a firm, quick shake.

After closing down the diner that night, Luke came home to find Lorelai watching a movie. He walked up behind the couch and leaned over to give her an upside down kiss.

"Hey, how was your day?" he asked softly as he brushed a stray hair off her forehead.

"Good. I went to Sookie's for dinner and _man_ is Jackson excited about the whole coaching thing," she giggled as she stood up and followed him into the kitchen.

"He told you about that, huh?" asked Luke dryly as he reached into the fridge and pulled out a beer.

He twisted the top off and took a long pull from the bottle. He held it out to Lorelai and she took it as she studied him carefully.

"You know, you could have said no. I know organized group activities aren't really your thing," she said before she took a swig of his beer and handed him back the bottle.

Luke took a few more gulps and placed the bottle on the table. He pulled out a chair and took a seat. He gestured for Lorelai to sit on his lap which she accepted. He wrapped one around her waist and laid the other across her thighs.

"It's not that I don't want to do it. It's just that-" He paused for a moment and shrugged. "I always thought I'd be coaching my own kid's team one day, you know?"

"Well, I'm sorry to break it to you, but I don't think April is the athletic type," chuckled Lorelai as she reached for his beer and took a sip.

"No, I didn't mean-" He stopped and looked up at Lorelai. "Anyway, I'm happy to do it."

She gave him a confused look but decided not to push the issue any further.

"So," she said as she wrapped one arm around his neck. "When does Stars Hollow turn into Bull Durham?"

"I meet the team next Saturday at the baseball field behind the high school," he said as he rubbed his hand up and down her jean-clad thigh.

Lorelai giggled at a memory that seemed so long ago. She grabbed the beer bottle and offered it to Luke. He drained the rest of it and she stood up to place the empty bottle on the counter. She walked back over to the table but instead of Luke's lap, she sat on top of the table and faced him.

"Do you remember the morning after the test run at the inn? _We_ hadn't exactly talked about the events of the previous night just yet and you left while I was dealing with Taylor?" asked Lorelai.

Luke chuckled at the memory. "Yep. I thought maybe you were blowing me off."

"Well, when Sookie brought it up later on that morning, she just _assumed_ that we had had sex and asked if it was on top of a table like in 'Bull Durham'," she told him with a smirk.

Luke's eye widened as he started to follow her train of thought.

"So I was thinking, if you _want_ , that I could be the Annie to your Crash," she said as she crossed her arms over her stomach and pulled off her t-shirt. She leaned back on her hands and waited for Luke to respond.

He slowly stood up and smoothed his hands over her bare stomach and up her ribcage. He reached around and unhooked her bra. When the material gave way, he pulled the straps down her arms and tossed it to the floor.

He looked her in the eyes and said, "Crash didn't teach kids how to hit a ball off of a tee." He nuzzled her neck and placed slow, open-mouthed kisses down the side until he reached her throat.

"Crash gets the girl though, doesn't he?" she asked breathlessly.

Luke pulled back and with a smirk he simply said, "Yep." 

* * *

A week later, Luke walked onto the high school baseball field carrying his old baseball glove. He noticed Jackson and Sookie standing off to the side with the youngest of the three Belleville kids, Vivian. He and Lorelai were there when she was born and Luke had grew fond of the almost two-year-old. When Vivian spotted Luke, she broke away from her parents and ran towards him.

"Luke!" she squealed as she plowed into his legs.

He chuckled and lifted her up with ease. He placed her on his hip and walked over to return her to her oblivious parents.

"Oh, hey!" said Sookie with a bright smile as she took her proffered child from Luke.

"I think this belongs to you," he said with a smile as he handed over the little girl. He nodded towards the field. "Is that everyone?"

Jackson nodded. "Yep. All ten of them. I'll walk you over."

They walked over to the small group of boys. They were all about Davey's age, between six and eight years old. He noticed a guy, probably in his mid thirties, holding a clipboard and wearing a Stars Hollow Cubs hat. Jackson introduced Luke to the younger guy. His name was Josh and he was the head coach.

"Thanks for coming on board, Luke. I can't tell you how much we appreciate it. Especially the kids," said Josh as he gestured to the group of boys huddled around them.

"It's no big deal. Just let me know what you need me to do," said Luke with his hands on hips.

"I have to hop across the field and meet with the Little League team real quick and get them practicing," said Josh with his thumb pointed back towards another group of boys. "If you want to get these guys started on some toss and catch, I'll be back in about ten minutes."

After a few minutes, Luke finally got all the boys lined up. He had them in two rows facing each other, with five on one side and five on the other. After about ten minutes, the boys had actually started to get the hang of catching the ball. Luke was actually impressed and quickly remembered how much he missed playing ball as a kid.

Josh finally rejoined them and they divided the boys up into two groups. Five of them took the field and the other five went in the dugout to await their turn at bat. Luke decided to help with the batters and had them lineup along the fence of the dugout. He heard a loud ping and looked toward the field where the older kids were practicing. He watched a kid, probably about ten or eleven, run the bases after he hit a home run.

"Who's the kid?" Luke asked Josh as he gestured towards the other side of the field.

"That's my son William. We call him Will for short. He plays for the Stars Hollow Braves. He's pretty damn good for an eleven-year-old," said Josh before he stepped up and adjusted Davey's grip on the bat.

"Hm," said Luke lost in thought.

He was around the same age as Will when he first started to show a real interest in playing ball. He ran track in high school but playing baseball is what he thought he would do for the rest of his life.

An hour later, Luke and his Cubs were extremely exhausted. Josh decided to bring the Braves over to meet the younger kids. After introducing all the kids, Josh walked Will over to meet Luke.

"Luke Danes this is Will. Will, this is Luke. He actually played ball and almost went pro," said Josh with a wink.

"I wouldn't exactly say all that," said Luke with a good-natured eye roll as he shook Will's hand.

"It's nice to meet you, Mr. Danes," said Will with a smile that looked all too familiar to Luke.

Will was a little on the lanky side. He was about a foot shorter than Luke and he had short, curly brown hair and bright blue eyes. Luke couldn't help but think that Will looked a little like Lorelai. He shook his head to clear the crazy thought.

In the almost two years since they reconciled, the topic of having kids never came up. Once Luke moved in with Lorelai they established a rhythm of life that was content for the both of them. It seemed like there was always something going on. April would come to visit and, after Obama won the presidency the previous year, Rory came home for a while. On occasion, they would babysit Doula or Vivian. They both loved interacting with the little girls but they loved, even more, to send them home to their parents. It wasn't until he was asked to help coach that Luke felt like something was missing. It wasn't lost on him that if things hadn't gone so wrong, even as far back as the riff between Lorelai and Rory, that they could have a four-year-old that would maybe be playing T-ball.

Luke's thoughts were interrupted when Josh asked, "Do you have any kids, Luke?"

Luke nodded. "Yeah. One. Well I guess you can say two. I have a daughter from a previous relationship. She just turned sixteen and the woman I'm with, Lorelai, she has a daughter too. She'll be twenty four this year. Her daughter not Lorelai," Luke rambled.

"Sounds complicated," Josh joked with a smile as he patted Luke on the back. "Have you thought about having any more?"

Luke shrugged. "Sure. We talked about it once. Years ago. But we're both so busy running our businesses, taking care of our girls, or trying to avoid each other's crazy families. I'm sure if Lorelai wanted to make time for kids she would let me know." 

* * *

Monday morning at the inn Lorelai was in her office checking her email when Sookie knocked on the door and popped her head in.

"Morning, honey!" said Sookie with a bright smile.

"Ugh, you're way too perky for a Monday morning," said Lorelai as she narrowed her eyes at Sookie.

Sookie sat down in the chair across from Lorelai's desk and shrugged. "Well I'm so sorry, Garfield. I forgot you don't like Mondays. Did Luke tell you about Saturday?! Davey had such a blast! All the kids seemed to really like Luke," said Sookie with a chuckle.

"He said it went well." Lorelai shrugged as she turned back to face her computer. "He's been in a weird mood the past week though. I thought it was because Anna called and asked if he wanted to go halves on a car for April for her birthday."

"You know, you could always _ask_ him what's bothering him," suggested Sookie.

"Nah. You know Luke. He'll just shrug it off and say everything's fine. If something _is_ bothering him, he'll tell me," said Lorelai as she stood up and grabbed her cellphone from her purse on the credenza behind her desk.

Sookie stood up and opened the office door for Lorelai. She followed her out into the lobby and into the library where Michel was waiting.

"Well, I'm going to start prepping for lunch. Let me know when you have the finalized menu for your mother's DAR fundraiser on Friday," said Sookie as she gave Lorelai an apologetic smile and returned to the kitchen.

Lorelai gave an exaggerated sigh and called out, "Will do!"

Lorelai and Michel sat for almost two hours trying to finalize all the plans for the fundraiser. Emily insisted it be held outside in the garden which meant a lot of maintenance needed to be done as well as an outdoor tent.

For the past few years, Lorelai had delegated Michel to be in charge of most of the special events that the inn had going on. Knowing this event included her mother, Lorelai had to make sure every detail was just right.

"Okay, I think that's it. All we have left to do is to call over to Whalen's in Hartford and confirm the delivery of the tent and chairs for Thursday. My mother talked to Steve and he said he'd give us a good price, so if something doesn't add up give me a call and I'll sick Emily Gilmore on him," said Lorelai as she checked her phone for the time. "I'm heading to Luke's. I'll be back in about an hour. Oh! And don't forget to give the menu to Sookie."

"You know, this is not my first event. I'm perfectly capable of handling all of this on my own," said Michel with an indignant tone in his voice.

"Yes, Michel. I'm aware of what you're capable of. But when it comes to my mother, I'm not giving her any more ammo than she already has."

Ten minutes later, Lorelai stepped into the slightly packed diner. Luke zipped by carrying an armload of plates.

"Hey," he said quickly as he brushed past her to deliver the plates to a table by the window.

A stool opened up at the end of the counter and she quickly took a seat. Luke made his way back around the counter and stopped in front of her.

"Coffee?" he asked as he reached for a mug.

"I'm sorry, have we met?" said Lorelai sarcastically.

Luke rolled his eyes and poured some coffee into the mug and set it in front of her. He took the pot with him as he made the rounds to check on the other customers. When he came back to the counter, Lorelai was typing out a message on her phone.

"You know what you want?" he asked as he watched her patiently.

"Hmm? Oh, sorry," she said as she looked up. She placed her phone down on the counter. "Cheeseburger and fries please."

"I'll be right back," said Luke as he turned to go put in her order. A minute later he came back and refilled her cup of coffee.

"So how's the fundraiser planning going?" he asked.

"Ugh, fine so far. Michel texted me to say that he couldn't get ahold of Steve at the tent rental place yet. Once we can confirm the order, it should be smooth sailing from there," she said as she took a sip of coffee.

Luke heard the bell ring by the kitchen and walked over to get Lorelai's lunch. He set the plate in front of her and walked back to the register to ring up a customer. He returned a moment later to see half of her burger gone and all of her fries.

She looked up to see him staring at her with his eyebrows raised. "What? I was hungry. And you know I tend to eat quickly when I'm stressed." She took another bite of her burger.

He raised his hands in mock defense. "I'm not judging. It's just been a while since I've had to do the Heimlich," he said with a smirk.

She polished off the rest of her burger and chewed thoughtfully as she stared at him. She swallowed and took a quick sip of coffee. "So, why didn't you tell me you had so much fun Saturday at practice?" She eyed him over the rim of her coffee mug.

"I told you it went good," he said with a shrug as he wiped down the counter.

"Sookie said they had a blast and that the kids really liked you. That's great, Luke. It's okay to be a little excited about it," she said as she placed her hand over his.

"I _am_ excited, but it just reminded me of playing ball with my dad. It's just a little bittersweet. I can't believe it'll be twenty years this year that he's been gone," said Luke quietly.

"Aw, Hon. I didn't think about that," said Lorelai as she gave his hand a tight squeeze.

"No, it's ok. It was a good feeling to be back out on that field. There's actually this kid on the Little League team. William. Will for short. He's really good," he paused for a second, "he uh, he actually reminds me of us."

"Of us?" said Lorelai with a confused look on her face.

"Yeah, he has this brown curly hair and blue eyes. He's a damn good ball player. I just couldn't help but think-" said Luke before the buzzing of Lorelai's phone interrupted him.

"Oh, shoot! I swear sometimes Michel cannot function if I'm not there holding his hand," she said as she typed quickly on her phone.

"You better get back. I'll see you tonight after practice," said Luke as he cleared her plate and leaned in for a quick kiss.

"Not unless this fundraiser is indeed the death of me," she said with a sigh as she placed her phone into her purse and stood up. "Bye, Hon." 

* * *

On Saturday afternoon, Luke, Lorelai, and all the Belleville's made their way to the ball field. Practice that week had gone really well and Luke was excited for his Cubs to hit the field. The T-ball game didn't start until 2:00 p.m., so the Braves were still on the field for the last of their six innings. Lorelai, Sookie, Jackson, Martha, and Vivian walked over to the bleachers to grab a spot and Luke took Davey over to warm-up with the rest of the team.

"Man, I'm so glad this week is over," said Lorelai as her and Sookie took their seats.

"You and me both. I can't believe the turnout for the fundraiser. Even Emily seemed to enjoy herself," said Sookie with a slight chuckle.

"She was definitely on her best behavior," said Lorelai distracted by Luke as he chatted with a younger guy. "Sookie, who is that with Luke?"

Sookie followed Lorelai's sight of vision. "Oh, that's Josh! He's the head coach for the Cubs and he's helping out with the Braves. His son is Will. He plays for the Braves. Right field I think."

Lorelai remembered hearing the name Will recently but she couldn't quite place it. She watched as Luke and Josh both turned towards the field. Something was said and both men laughed as they shook their heads slightly. Luke made his way over to the bleachers and took a seat next to Lorelai.

"What was that about?" asked Lorelai as she looped her arm through Luke's and rested her head on his shoulder.

"Oh, Josh was telling me that Will might not make it until the end of the game." Luke chuckled before continuing, "He had three Powerade's before the game started."

"Who is Will again?" asked Lorelai with knitted brows.

"That's, uh, Josh's kid," said Luke. "He's the one I said reminded me of…us. With the eyes and the knack for baseball, he's almost what I would imagine-"

Before Luke could finish, he heard some commotion come from the field. He looked just in time to see Will run off the field in the middle of the inning. The bathrooms were located at the end of the bleachers where Luke and Lorelai sat. Will jogged over and quickly went inside.

Luke shook his head slightly and laughed. He turned to Lorelai and said, "That's the kid."

"That's Will?" she asked with a chuckle. "You were right, he didn't make it."

Luke sensed the moment had passed. He didn't know why he couldn't just spit out what he was trying to say. He thought, deep down, that Lorelai would eventually understand what he was getting at and if she felt the same way she would let him know. That seemed to be the pattern in their relationship and Luke was fine with it. He loved Lorelai more than anything and he just wanted to be with her. Whatever happened or didn't happen he would just go with the flow.

He gestured towards the dugout. "I'm gonna see if Josh needs help getting everyone ready. I'll be back in a bit." He gave her a quick peck on the lips, stood up, and made his way down the bleachers.

"Lola!" squeaked Vivian from a few seats down. At almost two-years-old, it seemed impossible for her to pronounce Lorelai's name. Lorelai didn't mind. She loved having her own special nickname.

"Hey, sweetie. Do you want to come keep me company until Luke gets back?" she asked Vivian with her arms stretched out towards the little girl.

"Okay!" said Vivian as she made her way towards Lorelai.

She sat on Lorelai's lap and faced the field. Lorelai smoothed Vivian's soft, strawberry blonde hair down and lightly kissed the top of her head. For a moment, she could imagine her and Luke at their own kids game and the thought made her smile. But that thought was quickly interrupted by the sound of Alicia Keys singing 'Empire State of Mind' coming from her cellphone. She stood with Vivian on her hip and pulled her phone out of her back pocket.

"Well hello, daughter of mine. To what do I owe this unexpected call?" asked Lorelai as she handed the little girl to Sookie and sat back down.

"Funny you should ask. How would you and Luke feel about having a roommate for a little while?"

"Well, despite the rumors, Luke and I's ménage à trois days are long gone," joked Lorelai with an exaggerated sigh.

"Ew, Mom. Don't be gross."

Everyone started to cheer as the Cubs took the field.

"Sorry. So, what happened to Manhattan?" asked Lorelai as she walked down the steps of the bleachers to escape the crowd noise.

"Lucy and Olivia's lease is about to be up and I can't afford their place on my own. I was trying to find an apartment in Brooklyn, but there's nothing available in my price range. And since I'm doing mostly online writing, it doesn't really matter where I do it from."

"Well, Sweets, you know mi casa es tu casa. And Luke's casa. And Paul Anka's casa. And sometimes April's casa. Man, now I want Mexican food," Lorelai rambled.

Rory couldn't help but chuckle at her mother's never-ending train of thought. "Okay. Well I guess I'll see you guys in a few weeks. Give my love to Luke!"

"Will do. Bye, Hon."

A few hours later, Lorelai walked out of Al's Pancake World with a bag of tacos and burritos.

The Cubs had one their first game and Luke promised the team that they could celebrate at the diner.

He had stayed out in the dugout when the team took the field, so Lorelai wasn't able to fill him in on Rory coming to crash at the house in a few weeks. She had just hopped into her Jeep when her phone started to ring.

"Miss me already," she answered in a sultry voice.

"I just wanted to let you know the team decided to just get ice cream from Taylor's instead of eating at the diner. I'll be heading home in a few minutes," said Luke as he handed the cashier at Taylor's a $20 bill to cover the kid's treats.

"Oh, good. There's something I need to talk to you about, but I'll wait until you get home. See you soon," said Lorelai before she hung up.

Luke walked to his truck and got in. He had no idea what Lorelai would need to talk about. He hoped that his conversations recently about Will didn't freak her out. A small part of him even hoped that she would start a conversation of her own and that maybe they were on the same page.

He walked into the house a few minutes later to find Lorelai at the kitchen table. Two tacos and a half of a burrito seemed to have already been inhaled. He walked up behind her and kissed the top of her head.

"That was fast," said Lorelai through stuffed cheeks.

"What every man loves to hear," said Luke dryly as he went to the fridge and pulled out items to make himself a salad.

"Rory called right before the game started," said Lorelai after she swallowed her mouthful of burrito.

"Everything okay?" he asked as he washed a tomato at the sink.

"Yeah. She'll be coming home until she can find a place in Brooklyn. The lease is about to be up in Manhattan and she can't afford it on her own," said Lorelai as she crumpled up her empty taco wrappers and tossed them back into the bag.

"Don't your parents have an apartment on the Upper East Side?" asked Luke as he grabbed for a cutting board to slice his vegetables.

"They do, but I'm pretty sure Rory is scarred for life after her stay at the Gilmore House of Horrors four years ago," said Lorelai as she walked to the fridge and took out a container of already grilled and cut chicken breasts. She placed the container on the counter next to Luke's salad fixings and watched him for a moment as he cut his vegetables with ease.

"It's fine that she's coming home, right? I mean if you're worried there won't be room when April comes here in June then-"

"Lorelai, this is Rory's house too. Of course she can come home. They've both stayed here at the same time before," said Luke as he dumped his vegetables into his salad bowl and tossed in a couple of chicken pieces.

She followed him to the table as he sat down to eat. She opened the fridge and took out a bottle of water and placed it next to his salad on the table. She sat down across from him, propped one leg up on the chair, and rested her chin on her knee.

"You just seem upset. I want to make sure we're on the same page," said Lorelai quietly.

It suddenly dawned on Luke that their life was just too busy to bring a baby into the mix. Between Rory and April constantly passing through and Sookie's kids hanging out at the house and even Liz, T.J., and Doula. It was definitely enough to fill the void.

Luke took his last bite of salad and brought his bowl over to the sink to rinse it out. After loading it into the dishwasher, he walked back over to Lorelai and offered her his hand to pull her up from the chair. He wrapped one arm around her neck and the other around her waist and hugged her to him. She immediately encircled his waist and leaned into his embrace.

He kissed the side of her head and softly said, "I'm sorry. I know I've been a little out of it this week. And no. I'm not upset. I love when the girls come home," he said as he pulled back to meet her gaze. "Trust me, we're on the same page."

Lorelai gave him a small smile and nodded. She leaned in and gave him a soft kiss on the lips. She couldn't help but feel like there was something being left unsaid but she pushed those feelings aside and enjoyed the moment while it lasted. 

* * *

"Alright, Lorelai. Everything looks good. I know you wanted to renew your birth control prescription, but did you have any questions for me?" asked Dr. Courtland as she pulled off her rubber gloves and tossed them into the trash.

Lorelai sat up and faced the doctor. "What are the chances of me getting pregnant if I decided to go off of the pill?" She twisted her fingers together in her lap nervously.

It had been a month since her and Luke's somewhat awkward conversation at the ball field and she couldn't shake the feeling that maybe he was going to bring up wanting a baby. Up until that point, she hadn't given it much thought. Along with the idea of marriage, it just seemed like it could be too much pressure for their relationship. Sure, she thought, it had been two years but things were going so well she wouldn't think of jeopardizing it. But she still wanted to know the odds, just in case Luke decided to bring it up.

"Well," Dr. Courtland said with a small sigh. "Your chance of conceiving within a year is about 40 to 50 percent but by age forty three the chances drop to about one to two percent."

"Man, so forty is _not_ the new thirty," Lorelai joked with a nervous chuckle.

"Not for your ovaries," Dr. Courtland said matter-of-factly before asking, "How are things with Luke?"

"Things are good. Both of our girls are home right now so things are a little hectic. Thank god they both love to read or else Luke would go insane with all the constant chattering," said Lorelai with a chuckle.

"Are you two talking about having a baby?" asked Dr. Courtland as she filled out Lorelai's prescription.

"Not exactly. I thought maybe he was going to bring it up about a month ago, but he never did. I probably read too much into the situation. I just figured it didn't hurt to ask," said Lorelai with a small shrug.

"A little information never hurt anybody," said Dr. Courtland as she handed Lorelai her prescription. "But keep in mind that there are other options for, let's say, women of a certain age. If it's further on down the road than you hoped, there's always surrogacy. It's not the most ideal way but that _is_ an option."

Lorelai nodded slowly at the thought. It never really occurred to her that the older she got the harder it would be to get pregnant. Mainly because she blocked out the thought of even having more kids when she was married to Christopher. And now, Luke seemed to be so content with what they had and that thought made her happy.

Knowing what their options were now, she felt that if Luke did decide to bring up the topic she would be able to make a more informed decision. She was fine with the status quo, so she would leave it all up to Luke to make the first move. 

* * *

**A/N:** This chapter was the main reason I wanted to create a timeline of stories. The number one problem I think most L&L fans had, me included, with the revival was the fact that they apparently never talked about having kids. And after watching their conversation in the Winter episode many, many times I came up with this idea. To me, it's not that they never thought about it. It's the fact that they thought the other person would bring it up if that's what they wanted. And that's why I have them, almost constantly, point out that "He/she would tell me if they wanted too". This will be the only chapter with talk of pregnancy because, like Luke says in the revival, Lorelai didn't pursue it any further so the topic is dropped.

The only reason I could see them going to any kind of Little League game is if someone they knew was playing or maybe if Luke was involved somehow, that's just my opinion of course. And Davey would have been six-years-old at the time so that made perfect sense for it to be his game and thats where Luke meets "the kid". ASP didn't do a good job in explaining why Luke thought Lorelai would understand what he was talking about when he pointed out the kid, so I figured he saw a bit of himself and Lorelai in Will.

I found it very strange that Lorelai immediately seeks out the prospect of a surrogate without seeking information from her own doctor first (maybe she does but its not canon). So I thought maybe the seed could have been planted long before 2016 to show that she knew her options and that she most likely wouldn't be able to conceive.


	5. 2010

**SEPTEMBER 2010**

"Oh, no," groaned Luke as he entered the kitchen one afternoon to find Lorelai seated at the table with a giant bundle of paint color swatches.

"Okay, hear me out," said Lorelai calmly as she placed the bundle down on the table.

Luke walked over to the fridge and took out two bottles of water. He placed one in front of her and then took a seat at the table. "I'm listening."

"I was watching HGTV today-"

"Nothing good can come from that," interrupted Luke with a smile.

"And they were talking about how you can maximize smaller living spaces and use certain colors to open up a room. It got me thinking that it's been five years already since the remodel and it might be time for a little spruce," said Lorelai as she grabbed her bottle of water and took a sip.

"How little of a spruce are we talking?" asked Luke as he eyed her suspiciously.

Lorelai shrugged nonchalantly. "Maybe re-stain the hardwood floors, add some shelving. Oh! And French doors would look _so_ pretty in the living room."

"Lorelai," said Luke with a sigh. "That's not a _little_ spruce. That's almost another remodel."

"We added the downstairs bathroom three years ago and it wasn't that bad. This would be a lot less chaos for sure. No water being turned off or-"

"Okay. Tell me what you had in mind," said Luke to stop her from babbling.

Lorelai squealed with delight. She stood and pulled on Luke's arm so he would do the same. He followed her into the living room and they both stood facing the fireplace.

"So, I was thinking we could put shelves in to fill this wall," she said as she pointed to the space next to the fireplace and under the stairs.

"But you have shelves. You have your small bookcase and the shelf on the stairs by the landing," said Luke pointedly.

"The new shelves would fill up the whole wall. Maybe even take the shape of the staircase? We can put the t.v. in there and all of our books, movies, and cd's," she said as she gestured to the open space.

Luke stood with his hands on hips and his head cocked to the side. He could picture what she had in mind and he thought it would actually look pretty good. It wouldn't take up any room and it would give them way more storage space for things that were scattered around the living room.

He nodded slowly. "That could probably work. I can build the shelves, so that's something we can do ourselves. What else were you thinking?"

"I think I want to repaint in here," said Lorelai with a wrinkled nose.

Luke sighed at the thought. He remembered how long it took her to choose a paint color all those years ago. Although looking back, it was her way of prolonging the process of the house being completely finished and not having something to occupy her time while she was on the outs with Rory.

Sensing that was where his mind was headed she quickly said, "I already chose a color. And no, I didn't involve Paul Anka."

"Really?" he asked with a tone full of disbelief.

"Yep. Follow me," she said as she led him back into the kitchen.

She picked up the color swatches and flipped to the green shades. She landed on a shade called 'Frappe Mint'. It was darker than your typical mint shade but still light enough to ensure the room would feel open.

"This is nice," said Luke as he gave the swatch an appreciative nod.

"You sound surprised," giggled Lorelai.

"I just wouldn't have thought you would go for a green color especially since the kitchen has a lot of green," said Luke with a shrug.

"Well I like it. And you can't go wrong with a coffee-themed paint color," she said matter-of-factly.

Luke looked up and gave her a small smile.

"So that just leaves the topic of the French doors. I just think it'll really open up the room, you know? Let more light in," said Lorelai as they walked back into the living room and faced the side door.

"Okay, that's enough HGTV for you," said Luke as he paused to assess the space needed to basically add another door. It could be done, but it would mean practically tearing out the wall on the side of the house. He looked around the room and his eyes landed on the two windows that faced the front yard.

"How about instead of the doors we make these two windows into one big window? We could even make it _look_ like three windows," said Luke as he gestured to the wall in between the two windows.

"You mean, like a picture window?" she asked.

"Yes. I think it would let just as much light in as the French doors and it wouldn't be as much work."

"I don't know. I think it'll look weird with the other windows on the house. They're all vertical and this one will be giant and horizontal. I think the doors would look better." 

* * *

A few weeks later, Luke was out in the garage sanding down the shelves to be placed up on the wall underneath the staircase. About a year after he moved in, Luke ended up turning Lorelai's garage into more of a workshop. To him, it was a waste of perfectly good space since Lorelai refused to park her Jeep inside of it. He always enjoyed the craftwork that was involved when making things out of wood and now having the space to hone that craft he found himself constantly taking on new projects. From bookshelves for Rory and April to cabinets for the house and the Dragonfly, Luke enjoyed his hobby.

He always kept the doors to the garage closed over when he was working so he wouldn't bother the neighbors with the sound of the sander. Between the noise of his power tool and the music from an old radio he kept on a shelf, he didn't hear Lorelai's Jeep pull up.

She climbed out and popped open the back hatch. She grabbed a can of wood stain and closed the door. She made her way toward the garage and the sound of Jimmy Buffett's 'Margaritaville' coming from the radio.

"You better hope the fifth time is the charm because I am _not_ setting foot in that hardware store-" She opened the door to find Luke in just an old pair of jeans and a tool belt.

"Well hey, Sailor," she giggled as she set down the can of wood stain and sauntered over to him.

Luke took the piece of wood he was working on and stood it up along side the garage wall with the other pieces.

"Well considering _you're_ the one who won't make up your mind on what color you want the shelves to be it serves you right," said Luke as he turned to face her with both hands on his hips.

"I can't take you seriously when you look like that," said Lorelai as she eyed him appreciatively.

Luke gave her a good-natured eye roll and gestured toward the can of stain that she brought in. "Bring me the can and we'll see what it looks like." He grabbed a towel to wipe off the sawdust that accumulated on his chest and arms.

Instead, Lorelai stepped forward and encircled his waist with her arms. "Don't I get a kiss first?"

With a smile he dropped the towel on his work bench and wrapped his arms around her waist. He slid his hands into the back pockets of her jeans and gave her bottom a light squeeze. He leaned in to give her a soft kiss on the lips.

"Mmm, you smell so manly. In a good way of course," she said as she nuzzled his neck and started to place soft kisses down the side.

"Lorelai," said Luke in a warning tone. "I'm covered in sawdust and not to mention we _are_ outside during the day."

"So," she said as she switched to give the other side of his neck the same attention.

He threaded his fingers through her curly hair and held her in place as her lips worked their magic. He gently pulled her head back and stared into her aroused, blue eyes. He captured her lips in a heated kiss and her tongue begged for entrance. Without breaking contact, he reached down and unbuckled his tool belt which landed with a thud onto the concrete floor of the garage. He brought his hands back up to cup her face while she reached for the button of his jeans. She made quick work of the button and unzipped the fly. Just as she snaked her hand in the front of his boxer briefs they jumped apart at the sound of a familiar, raspy voice coming from the yard.

"Lorelai? Oh hey, Suga!" screeched Babette as she entered the garage. "I was knocking on the front door but nobody answered and then I heard music coming from the garage, so I figured I'd check in here."

Luke had quickly turned to face the back of the garage. He discreetly re-zipped his pants and picked up his discarded tool belt which he quickly refastened to help cover up his arousal down below.

Lorelai blushed as she tried to act as natural as possible. She loved her neighbor more than her own mother some days, but boy did she know how to quickly kill a mood.

"Yep. Just working on the shelves," said Lorelai as she walked over to the can of wood stain and brought it back to Luke who seemed to have gotten himself under control. He grabbed his t-shirt that he had pulled off earlier in the day and quickly put it on.

"Aw, don't be shy gorgeous. I just came by to get Paul Anka," said Babette with her eyes locked on Luke's backside.

Sensing that Luke was completely embarrassed by the whole situation, Lorelai gestured to the doors of the garage. "Perfect timing. We were just about to get started on staining." Lorelai steered Babette outside of the garage.

"It looked like you were getting started on _something_ ," whispered Babette as she nudged Lorelai and gave her a wink.

With a nervous laugh, Lorelai turned and gave Luke an apologetic smile as she led Babette to the house to collect Paul Anka.

When they remodeled the house the first time, Paul Anka didn't seem to have an issue with all the hustle and bustle that was going on. But for some reason when they added the downstairs bathroom three years before, he completely freaked out. Lorelai had mentioned it to Babette and she offered to take Paul Anka as needed so they could work in the house.

So far, in just two weeks, they were able to get the French doors installed and the hardwood floors in the living room refinished. It wasn't necessary, but they decided to stay in the apartment above the diner while the floors were being done to ensure that they were completely dry so that they could start on the shelving and then finally paint the whole room.

The fifth time was indeed the charm for the wood stain color. Lorelai helped Luke stain all the pieces of wood and they left them to dry overnight in the garage. All of the living room furniture was still in the kitchen and some in Rory's room. They had plastic sheeting laid down on the living room floor so that they could start painting.

Before she got started, Lorelai went upstairs to grab her earbuds. As she came down the stairs she could hear Luke on the phone in Rory's room. She paused just before the doorway when she heard Luke mention her name.

"Lorelai will do what Lorelai wants to do. There's no changing her mind," said Luke as he paced around Rory's crowded room.

She crossed her arms over her chest and walked to the doorway of the room. She stopped and glared at Luke with a confused look on her face. When Luke noticed her, his eyes widened and he immediately handed over her phone.

"Talk to your daughter," he said quietly as he left the room.

"Conspiring against me?" asked Lorelai as she sat down on Rory's bed.

"Mom, no one is conspiring against you," said Rory with a chuckle. "We're just trying to get through to you, but you're being really stubborn."

"Rory, my heart, I am not being stubborn. At the end of the day, this is _my_ house and if I choose not to redo your room then you can call me Bobby Brown because that's my prerogative," said Lorelai calmly.

"I know it's your house, Mom. But my room looks frozen in time. Like one of those rooms of a missing child that never came home. All I'm saying is that I'm 100% okay with you making changes if you change your mind."

"And I'm saying I am okay with it looking frozen in time. Now stop conspiring with my man and let me get started on painting."

After she hung up with Rory, Lorelai found Luke in the living room putting painter's tape on the moldings. She twisted her earbuds in her hand for a second and then placed them in her pocket. She walked into the living room and sat down against the wall next to the entrance of the foyer facing the French doors.

"Why is it so hard for you two to understand that I _want_ to keep Rory's room the same?" she asked quietly as she picked at some dry paint on her jeans. She knew it probably didn't make sense to anyone but she didn't care. She remembered having the same feeling when Christopher and G.G. moved in.

"Lorelai, all I did was answer the phone. Rory asked how everything was coming along and I told her that the kitchen and her room was still a mess. She asked if you budged on doing something different with her room and that's when you walked in."

She looked up at him with tear-filled eyes. "It's all I have left of her and my old life, Luke. The life we had before she went out into the world, the life we had before Yale and Chilton and you. I just want to hold on to that for as long as I can." She sniffled as she wiped her nose with the back of her hand.

Luke walked over and crouched down in front of her. He wiped her tears away with his thumbs and held her face in his hands.

"That's all you had to say," he said with a small smile and kissed her gently on the forehead.

"I'm sorry. I didn't think everyone would make such a big deal about it. I know it makes me sound crazy but that's just how I feel."

"You? Crazy? Nah," said Luke which earned him a smile from Lorelai. He stood and offered her his hands to help pull her up.

"Well that makes you crazy by association, my friend," said Lorelai as she stood up.

"I've come to terms with that a long time ago," said Luke as he walked back over to finish taping off the molding.

Two hours and one pizza later they had finished painting all the walls, including each archway. All they had left to paint was the wall along the stairs. Lorelai stood back to admire their work.

"I really love this color. I think it'll look great against the color of the shelves," said Lorelai as she gathered paint brushes.

Luke poured the leftover paint from the tray back into the paint can and placed the lid on top. He pulled the rest of the painter's tape off and followed Lorelai into the kitchen to throw it away. He grabbed the empty pizza box and the full trash bag and headed out the back door.

Lorelai noticed that he hadn't said much since their conversation earlier. When he came back inside she watched him carefully. He walked into the living room and turned off all the lamps and locked the French doors. He walked back into the kitchen and checked the time on his watch.

"Do you want to shower before we head to the apartment or just use the one there?" he asked with a sigh.

"Luke. What's wrong?"

"Nothing. I'm just a little tired," he said quietly with his hands on his hips as he stared at the floor.

"Luke…" she said softly.

"I just feel bad, Lorelai. I had no idea that was why you didn't want to touch Rory's room and I should have. I just figured it was one of your things you needed control over."

"Well you're not completely wrong there," she said with a chuckle. "It's nothing to feel bad about, Luke. Now you know and we can move on."

She walked up to him and hugged him around the neck. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into a tight hug. He loosened his hold on her and kissed her temple.

"Shower. Here or there?" asked Luke as he tucked a loose hair behind her ear.

"Let's just stay here tonight. The paint fume smell isn't that bad since we had the doors open. And I really, really want to finish what we started out in the garage earlier," said Lorelai in a low, husky voice.

"Let me finish locking up and I'll meet you upstairs," said Luke in a deep voice.

Lorelai bit her bottom lip and smiled as her body flooded with excitement. She headed for the stairs as Luke checked to make sure all the doors were locked. As he made his way up the stairs he could hear the sound of the shower running. He pulled his shirt up and over his head and stopped in the doorway of their bedroom to remove his jeans. He walked over to the bathroom in just his boxer briefs and stood in the doorway to admire the view. Lorelai stood, completely bare, with her backside facing him as she leaned into the shower to check the temperature.

"Want some company?" asked Luke as he leered at her with his arms crossed over his chest.

Lorelai looked over her shoulder and smirked. "Was that a rhetorical question?"

Luke slowly pulled his boxers down and stepped out of them. He kicked them to the side and stood with his hands on his hips.

"I guess so," replied Lorelai as her eyes wandered down his body and landed on his very alert bottom half.

She pulled back the curtain in invitation and nodded her head towards the inside. Luke followed her lead and headed into the shower. She pulled the curtain closed and immediately wrapped her arms around his neck and captured his lips in a passionate kiss. He turned their position so that her back was pushed up against the cool, tile wall. He kissed his way down her neck and to her chest. He cupped and massaged each breast before taking one hardened peak into his mouth. She moaned softly and grasped the back of his head. He gave the same attention to her other breast before making his way down to her stomach. He kneeled down in front of her and ran his right hand down the back of her left thigh before he lifted it and placed it over his shoulder. He leaned forward and found her sweet spot. He quickly built her up but would not let her tumble over the edge just yet.

After several minutes of sensual torture, Luke stood up which earned him a whimper from Lorelai. He went in for another searing kiss and she reached for his hardness to stroke him gently.

"Turn around," he whispered into her ear.

Lorelai obeyed his command and turned to face the wall of the shower. He grabbed her mesh pouf hanging from the shower caddy and her body wash and lathered it up. He started at the center of her shoulder blades and made slow circles all around her back, her bottom, and down her legs. He turned her around and repeated the same steps to her front.

She snatched the pouf from his hands, held it under the water to rinse it off, and hung it back on the shower caddy. She quickly rinsed off and grabbed his bar of soap.

"My turn," she said with a devilish grin.

She glided the bar of soap across his chest and down his stomach. She gestured for him to turn around and once he did she ran the bar of soap across the back of his broad shoulders and then down the center of his back until she reached his firm bottom. She stooped down to wash both legs and stood back up. She rubbed the bar of soap between both hands until it was nice and sudsy and placed the bar back inside the shower caddy.

"Burger Boy," she said and he turned around to face her.

She reached out and firmly grabbed his hardness and let him slide through her soapy fingers. He groaned in pleasure and pressed his forehead against hers as he panted softly.

"Jesus, Lorelai," he moaned before he threaded his fingers through her wet hair and pulled her in for a deep kiss.

As their tongues battled for control, Luke quickly flipped their position and pinned Lorelai back up against the shower wall. He broke the kiss long enough to grab the back of her thighs and haul her up. She immediately wrapped her long legs around him as he found her entrance in one thrust.

"Oh God, Luke," she moaned into his ear as he started to quicken his pace.

It wasn't long before the buildup became too much and she toppled over the edge. Luke soon followed and they both panted from exertion. Once their breathing returned to normal, Luke slowly set her back down and placed tiny kisses on her neck and shoulder.

"We're going to be so sore tomorrow," said Lorelai with a giggle.

"It'll be worth it," said Luke with a grin.

He reached back and turned off the water. He grabbed them each a towel that hung on a hook outside the shower and they both dried off. They walked into the bedroom and dressed for bed. Lorelai grabbed her iPad that Luke had gotten for her birthday and settled into bed.

"I'm going grab some water. You need anything?" he asked as he stood in the doorway.

"I'm good, Hon. Thanks," she said distractedly as she logged into her eBay account.

She had been feeling kind of guilty that all the renovations they were doing were essentially _her_ idea, so she wanted to surprise Luke with something that would be his. Since Luke loved cooking and they seemed to always have someone over visiting, she thought it would be nice to update their stove. She loved the vintage O'Keefe & Merritt one she already had, so she started her search there. She eventually found someone who sold the same antique gas stoves and had different sizes as well. She had placed a bid a few days ago, so she wanted to check and see what the results were. She squealed with delight when she logged in and saw the notification that she had won the bid.

"Did you finally get to the next level on Angry Birds?" Luke deadpanned as he came back into the room and climbed into bed.

"Ugh, I gave up on that a long time ago," she said with a dismissive wave of her hand.

She sat up and turned to face him. "Ok, so, I have a surprise for you," said Lorelai with a cheeky grin.

Luke turned onto his left side to face her. She turned her iPad around to show him the picture of the stove. She watched his face carefully to gauge his reaction. She didn't even consider the fact that he may not love it as much as she did and it would be another thing that made _her_ happy and not him.

"This is nice," said Luke as he nodded appreciatively. He swiped through the few pictures and then handed the iPad back to Lorelai. "But what's wrong with the stove we have?"

"Nothing," she said with a shrug. "I just thought that _you_ might like something new with all the changes we're making to the house. And since the kitchen is pretty much your domain, I thought why not a bigger, better stove."

"My grandmother had a stove that was almost identical to that one," he said softly as he smiled at the memory. "I've been told that my love of cooking came from her."

Lorelai smiled at the thought of a younger Luke helping his grandmother cook.

"So, you like it?" she said hopefully.

"I love it." 

* * *

**A/N:** I really wanted to address some of the obvious "sprucing" that was done to Lorelai's house (which looked amazing btw) and to also set up the fact that Luke enjoys building stuff since Lorelai makes the comment in the Winter episode that she "annoys him and he builds cabinets". The updated stove is the first thing I noticed in the kitchen scene of the Winter episode when Luke is cooking. It's beautiful!

I think April says it best when she walks into Rory's room in the Summer episode and says it looks like a time machine. I thought that was interesting that the rest of the house had clearly been updated but not her room and it makes complete sense that Lorelai wouldn't want to change it.


	6. 2011

**FEBRUARY 2011**

Luke walked into the house on a Wednesday afternoon carrying a grocery bag from Doose's. He set it down in the foyer and removed his coat and fingerless gloves. He picked up the bag, carried it into the kitchen and placed it on the counter. He promised Lorelai, since it had been freezing cold lately, that he would make her gumbo for dinner. It had been a while since he made one so he walked over to the desk in the living room to grab his cookbook. He noticed the answering machine was flashing indicating a new message, so he pressed play and continued his search for the cookbook.

"Hey, Dad! It's me. I just wanted to call and tell you that everything has been finalized. You are now the proud parent of a high school graduate. I also have some other news, but I'll tell you when you call me back. Bye!"

Luke smiled and shook his head slightly. When April came home for Thanksgiving she had mentioned that there was a possibility that she could graduate early because she had way more credits than she needed. Of course Luke was proud of her but that also meant that she would not participate in an actual graduation ceremony. That realization stung a little bit because he felt like it was one more thing he would miss out on. April, in her nonchalant manner, wasn't bothered at all by the fact that she wouldn't attend the ceremony. To her, it was just a formality and receiving her diploma early on account of all her hard work was a better reward.

Luke located his cookbook and grabbed the cordless phone. He walked back towards the kitchen and placed the book on the counter. He dialed April's cellphone number and held the phone to his ear with his shoulder while he started to unpack the groceries.

"Hey, Dad!"

"Hey. So, it's official huh? Congratulations," said Luke as he pulled the last item out of the grocery bag.

"Thanks. Technically it was official a few weeks ago, but I got my diploma today." She paused for a moment. "Um, so I heard back from FAFSA about my financial aid."

"Already? Was that the other news you had?" asked Luke as he grabbed his cutting board to start chopping his onion, celery, and bell pepper.

"Yes. They're denying me. Something about you and all your assets. But it's ok! I'm still waiting to hear back from MIT because they automatically consider you for a scholarship when you apply for financial aid and-"

"April," said Luke calmly to interrupt her babbling. "Do not work yourself up into a panic attack over this. Let's just wait until we hear from Columbia, Cornell, _or_ MIT and we will go from there."

She took a deep breath and exhaled. "I'm sorry. I've been trying so hard not to freak out about it but then Mom kind of panicked and then I felt guilty. It's just been a crazy past couple of months."

"Why would your mom panicking make you feel guilty?" asked Luke as he started to cut up some sausage.

"Well we were so sure I'd get financial aid, because let's face it we're not wealthy or anything. So, Mom and Keith planned this whole Hawaii, summer wedding fiasco that pretty much wiped out her savings. And, oh no. She will totally kill me for telling you all of that. Please don't say anything, Dad."

Luke knew that Anna had gotten engaged over Christmas but he had no idea the wedding was so soon. They didn't exactly keep up with each other's personal lives unless it concerned April. A part of him would never forgive Anna for the things that she said about him during their custody hearing.

"I promise I won't say anything but for both of your sakes just relax. I will take care of everything when we know more. Ok?"

"Thanks, Dad. Oh, I have to go. My shift at the bookstore starts in a half hour. Say hi to Lorelai for me. Bye."

"Will do, Kid. Bye."

* * *

Two weeks later, Luke was shoveling the walkway to the front steps when Lorelai came outside waving the house phone at him.

"It's April and judging by her fast talking she has either known _me_ for too long or she has some exciting news," said Lorelai as she made her way down the steps of the porch.

He took the proffered phone from Lorelai and handed her the giant shovel. She gave him a confused look and he gestured for her to lean it up against the railing of the porch.

"Hey, April. What's going-"

"I got in! I can't believe I got in! And to my first choice school. How awesome is that?!" squealed April.

"Slow down," said Luke with a chuckle. He locked eyes with Lorelai and she gave him a "what's going on" look. "Wow, MIT. I guess I don't have to ask if you're excited."

"I'm beyond excited!"

"Was there any mention about the scholarship?" asked Luke as he gestured for Lorelai to lead them into the house to get warm. Once inside, he removed his coat and snow-covered shoes and headed into the living room where Lorelai had lit the fireplace.

"Yep," said April with a sigh. "I definitely didn't qualify for a full scholarship, but they approved me for a partial one. It should be enough to cover at least room and board, so it's just the matter of my tuition that's left to take care of."

"I got it covered. Just send the information to Lorelai's email and I'll take care of it," said Luke with a smile. "I'm proud of you, Kid."

"Thanks, Dad. I'll talk to you soon."

After hanging up with April, Luke placed the phone back on it's cradle and joined Lorelai on the couch. She was huddled under a blanket in the far right corner watching The Food Network.

"So, how does it feel to be the father of an MIT genius?" asked Lorelai as she turned to face Luke.

"It's amazing. Who would have thought that _I_ could have such a smart kid?" said Luke with a slight shake of his head and a look of disbelief on his face.

"Well believe it, babe," said Lorelai as she patted his knee and turned back to face the tv. "What is she sending me in an email?"

"Some kind of tuition spread sheet so I can take it to the bank and figure out about how much she's going to need over the next four or five years," said Luke as he rubbed her blanket-covered legs.

During the bathroom addition almost four years ago, the topic of their finances had come up. Lorelai suggested that it was just easier to keep things the way they were. Completely separate. They did, however, open a joint checking account that they used to pay utility bills, the mortgage payment, and anything they may need for the house. What the other one had wasn't necessarily a secret. Lorelai knew Luke had his real estate holdings and with Luke's being open for nearly twenty years pretty much everything he made was profit. Luke also knew that The Dragonfly had been booked to capacity basically since Lorelai opened it seven years ago. They never talked dollar amounts but it was understood that they were very successful in running their businesses. It was this realization that had Lorelai a little curious.

She hesitated a moment before she asked, "Is Anna helping to pay _anything_? I mean, you told me about her spending almost everything on her wedding this summer but what about after that?"

"No. I told them I would take care of it," he said softly.

"Luke," chuckled Lorelai. "That's a lot of money. A hundred grand, easily. You have that kind of money just lying around?"

"Pretty much," he said with nonchalant shrug of his shoulders. "I do have other sources of income and not just from the diner."

Lorelai gasped in mock horror. "Are you like Richard Gere in _American Gigolo_ because that would be pretty disturbing…but also kind of a turn on."

"Lorelai," said Luke in a warning tone.

"Fine, I'll save my male prostitute jokes for another time," she said with her hands up in defense. "We just don't ever talk about the money we have stashed away for a rainy day. I just don't want you to be in over your head."

Luke turned to face her on the couch. "Do you remember almost nine years ago when I decided to lease out the space next to the diner for the soda shop?" Lorelai nodded so he continued, "Well I wasn't kidding when I told Taylor he would be paying through the nose. So, every payment he has given me plus the money you paid me back a few years ago went into a separate account. There's plenty enough money to pay for April's school."

"Okay, Daddy Warbucks, but don't you feel like Anna should contribute _something_? I just don't want you to feel like you owe her anything because of the situation."

"I _need_ to do this, Lorelai. For April. It's not for Anna. And if it makes you feel better I was planning on asking Anna to at least put money in an account that April can use for spending. Or maybe even get her a student credit card with a small limit."

"I think that's a good idea. And, for the record, I love that you're able to do this for April. You're a great dad, Luke," she said as she leaned in to give him a soft kiss on the lips.

When she started to smile through the kiss, Luke pulled back and narrowed his eyes at her. "You're thinking about that movie, aren't you?"

"Kind of," she said with a giggle. "I just think you'd look incredibly hot shirtless and with nothing but a pair of dress pants."

"I'll keep that in mind," said Luke. He gave her a quick peck on the lips and got up to head back outside to finish shoveling the walkway.

 **MARCH 2011**

It was a Friday night when Luke and Lorelai pulled up to the Gilmore residence. After being ushered in by the maid, they handed over their coats and made their way to the living room. They exchanged pleasantries and took a seat on the small couch that faced the door to the back patio.

"Luke. Lorelai. Can I get you something to drink?" asked Richard as he stood by the drink cart and fixed himself a glass of scotch.

"Gin martini, please," said Lorelai as she straightened out the skirt of her dress.

"Nothing for me. I'll just have wine with dinner, if that's ok," said Luke.

"That is perfectly fine with me, Luke. One gin martini coming up," said Richard as he fixed Lorelai's drink.

"Are you feeling ok, Luke?" asked Emily as she studied him carefully.

"I'm fine. I think the stress from the last couple of weeks is starting to catch up to me," said Luke with a dismissive wave.

"Stress? Is everything alright with the diner?" asked Richard as he handed Lorelai her drink.

"The diner is fine, Dad. April got into MIT, so he's been dealing with the Office of Admissions and trying to get everything set up. Running a business _and_ dealing with a school that's two hours away isn't exactly ideal," said Lorelai before she took a sip of her martini.

"MIT. That's definitely one of the best schools in the country for science. Full scholarship?" asked Richard.

"Partial. Just enough to cover room and board. I'll be paying the difference," said Luke as he gave Lorelai a "please help me" look.

"Man, am I _starving_. What's for dinner?" asked Lorelai to shift the conversation away from Luke.

After dinner Luke joined Richard in his study. Normally they just had dessert at the table or sometimes back in the living room, but tonight was different. He felt like Richard was concerned about something. He hadn't said anything else regarding April's tuition over dinner, so Luke assumed that's where the conversation was going to go when Richard asked Luke to follow him.

"Tell me, Luke. What are you and Lorelai's plan for the future?" asked Richard from behind his desk.

"Um, well we're committed to each other. We both know that this is what we want and where we want to be," said Luke as he shifted uncomfortably in his seat.

"And paying for April's schooling? Is that something you're prepared to take on?"

"Yes sir, it is. I've been putting money aside for a long time and now I have something that I feel is worth the expense."

"You know, with the recession being over and the economy coming back to life, you may want to reconsider franchising. If this nest egg that you have saved up is going to cover tuition, you may want to consider a way to replenish that money. My offer still stands to help you out with that. I'm not only thinking about you, Luke, but I'm also looking out for my daughter as well."

"I appreciate that, Richard, I _really_ do, but I have it taken care of."

"Ok," said Richard with a sigh. "Just know that I'm here if you need some guidance with dealing with school. I've been there done that."

"Thanks. I'll keep that in mind," said Luke as they both stood to exit the study.

Once the front door to the mansion closed behind them, Lorelai gave Luke a small smile and a soft kiss on the lips. "No cigars tonight?" she asked as she pulled back from the kiss.

"Nope. Not tonight," said Luke softly as he ushered Lorelai towards his truck.

"You ok?" asked Lorelai as she fastened her seatbelt.

"Just tired. It's been a long day," he said before he gave her a small smile and started the truck.

After Emily closed the front door, she found Richard back in his study looking at some paperwork at his desk.

"Was everything ok? Luke looked a little out of it when they left," said Emily as she took a seat in the chair in front of Richard's desk.

"Everything is fine, Emily. I'm just a little concerned about Luke using all his savings to pay for his daughter's schooling," said Richard without looking up.

"I'm sure if it was a problem for him he wouldn't consider it, Richard."

"Well there's just some things I can't leave up to chance. I brought up the idea of franchising his diner which of course he refused. If he and Lorelai end up marrying one day I would like to feel like they have a secure future, financially. I'm going to call Joseph Stanford on Monday. I want to make some revisions to my will. Something that will benefit the both of them in the long run."

* * *

 **A/N:** It bugged the crap out of me that Luke would not have attended April's high school graduation. After all that? Really ASP? So, I assumed there had to be a legit reason other than a throw away line in the revival. If April is as smart as she's written to be then I fully believe this kid could graduate early. I do think that ASP forgot how old April was supposed to be. She says she's 22 but April would have turned 23 by that time and have already graduated college most likely the year before. It's not a huge deal just another continuity issue on the writer's part.

I also wanted to establish a reason for Richard to include Luke in his will. I feel like there had to have been a conversation or a concern that Richard had to even think about Luke in that way. To me, it makes sense that his reasoning would be to try and secure their future whether they like it or not. I think Richard's heart was in the right place.


	7. 2012

DISCLAIMER: This chapter is a little more on the sadder side but not too much. It does involve a minor character death so I tried to sandwich that sadness in between some happy/sexy moments.

 **MAY 2012**

"Come on! It _is_ a big deal, Luke," said Lorelai from her usual stool in the diner.

"No, it's not. My 10-year anniversary wasn't that big of a deal so why is the 20-year anniversary?" asked Luke as he walked around and started to place the chairs on top of the tables.

Lorelai stood and started to grab chairs as well. The last customer of the night had left a few minutes before, but they were so caught up in conversation they hadn't noticed the cash left on the table and the empty seat.

"Well, for starters, you were not dating this magnificent creature standing right before you who would have had you celebrating the 10-year milestone. And secondly, any small business that lasts for twenty years is a huge accomplishment, Luke. And the fact that someone wants to include you in an article about it is pretty great. You should be proud of that," said Lorelai as she started to clear the table from the last customer.

"I am _very_ proud of my business. You know that. And you also know that I don't enjoy being the center of attention especially in this crazy town." He paused for a moment. " _But_ I guess it couldn't hurt to show how proud I am."

"Really?!" squealed Lorelai as she lunged toward Luke and hugged him around the neck. "I'll call Sandra in the morning."

A few days earlier, Lorelai had received an email from Sandra at American Travel magazine. It was the same magazine that had published the article about Lorelai and the Dragonfly Inn years before. She had passed through Stars Hollow to visit Kim's Antiques and had stopped in at Luke's for lunch. She loved the fact that from the outside it resembled a hardware store, but it was indeed a restaurant. She wanted to find out more about the business, so Sandra reached out to Lorelai to see if she was familiar with the establishment. Once Lorelai told her the story of Luke's dad and how Luke converted his store into the diner, Sandra knew it would make a great article. Lorelai knew it would not be easy to convince Luke into taking the interview, but after three days of wearing him down, he finally gave in. 

* * *

A week later, Luke and Lorelai sat down with Sandra at one of the back tables at Luke's. They decided to schedule the interview in the middle of the day so that it wouldn't be too busy in the diner. After about an hour of chatting, Sandra stood and shook both their hands and thanked them for their time. As soon as the door closed behind her, Luke exhaled a sigh of relief.

"You did great, babe! And that was so sweet of you to mention Buddy and Maisy. We should go to Sniffy's and tell them about the article and celebrate," said Lorelai as she followed Luke towards the counter.

"Well I'd be selfish not to mention them and how they helped me get started. Did you really need to bring up the horoscope?" asked Luke in a low voice.

"Yes," said Lorelai as if the answer were obvious. "All stories become infinitely better when there's a romantic twist involved. Everybody knows that."

Later that night they walked into Sniffy's. They were greeted by Buddy who showed them to their usual booth.

"Where's Maisy? I have some news I want to tell you both," asked Luke before taking a sip of beer the waitress had brought over.

"She's in the back office. It's getting harder for her to make the rounds, but for you I'm sure she won't mind," said Buddy with a smile.

Ten years ago, Maisy was diagnosed with lung cancer but had won the battle. Two years ago, however, the cancer returned. Since then, Luke and Lorelai would try and stop by Sniffy's at least once a month if their schedules allowed for it.

"Hello, Lucas," said Maisy with a warm smile as she approached the table.

Luke stood and gently embraced the older woman. He stepped aside so Lorelai could do the same and then they returned to their seats.

"You look good. How are you feeling?" asked Luke gently.

"Like an old woman," chuckled Maisy with a dismissive wave of her hand. "Buddy tells me you have some news."

"Well some crazy person thought that I was interesting enough to write an article on and so Lorelai set it all up and there was an interview and it's going to be published in a magazine," said Luke with a proud grin on his face.

"Lucas, that's wonderful! Gosh your folks would be so proud of you. Hell, this is the best news I've gotten in a while." She paused and turned to Buddy, "Go put their orders in. I want to talk to them."

Buddy made his way to the kitchen and Maisy took a seat in the booth next to Lorelai so she could face Luke.

"I don't want to lie to you both. It's not looking too good," said Maisy hesitantly.

"But you beat it before, Maisy, I'm sure you can do it again," said Luke in a voice full of concern.

"I'm a lot older than before. The doctors have done pretty much what they can. I've made peace with it. I'm enjoying the time I have left, Lucas, and I don't want you to worry about me." She reached for Luke's hand and gave it a squeeze. "Now, enough of this sappy conversation. You're here to celebrate. I'm getting you some champagne."

Before Luke could object, Maisy turned and walked towards the kitchen. Lorelai studied Luke carefully for a moment. She scooted closer towards him and pulled his hand into her lap intertwining their fingers. She squeezed his hand lightly to get his attention.

"Are you okay?" she asked softly.

"Yeah," he said with a sigh. "I just don't understand how _she_ can be so okay with it. It has to be a scary feeling, you know?"

"Some people are resilient, Luke. She's gone through this before and she knew what to expect. If I know Maisy like I think I do, she's not going to let this slow her down completely. She'll make each day count. I really admire that," said Lorelai as she gently stroked the back of Luke's head.

A minute later Buddy returned with their dinner followed by Maisy with the champagne and sparkling water. They ate their dinner in silence, Lorelai giving Luke time to process everything. They refused dessert but Maisy insisted they at least take it to-go. Lorelai excused herself to go to the ladies' room while Luke paid the bill. He made his way over to the office of the restaurant and gently knocked on the door.

"We're leaving. I just wanted to come say goodbye," said Luke with his hands in the back pockets of his jeans.

Maisy stood and walked over to Luke. She gave him a tight hug and pulled back after a moment to look him in the eyes.

"It's not goodbye. It's see you later," said Maisy with a smile. "Take care of your girl, Lucas. Seeing you so happy these last five years has brought me more joy than you can imagine."

Luke pulled the older woman in for another hug just as Lorelai knocked softly on the open door.

"I know you saw him first, but he's already taken," said Lorelai with a grin.

Luke pulled back from the hug and gave Lorelai a smirk and slight shake of the head. Lorelai made her way over and gave Maisy a hug.

"You're just lucky he's not my type," said Maisy with a chuckle as she embraced Lorelai.

"It was good seeing you. Call us if you need anything. We're not that far away," said Lorelai as she pulled back from the hug and wrapped her arm around Luke's waist.

"You two stop worrying about me. It's all going to be fine. Congratulations again on the article. Now go! Enjoy your night. Enjoy life. Don't take it for granted."

 **JUNE 2012**

"They look so happy," said Lorelai softly as she stared at a blown up picture of Buddy and Maisy.

"I think that was the day Sniffy's opened," said Luke with a smile as he stared at the picture of the older couple who were like a second set of parents to him.

They were attending Maisy's memorial service which was being held at Sniffy's. It was exactly what she would have wanted. There was music, tons of food, and most importantly all of their family and friends. She had passed away a week after Luke and Lorelai's last visit back in May. It was hard at first for Luke to come to terms with the loss. It brought back memories of the passing of his mom and dad. But the way that Maisy handled herself and how at peace she was with everything made Luke feel a sense of peace as well.

"Can you believe it's been _five_ years since we got back together?" asked Lorelai as they drove home that night from the memorial. "Sometimes it feels like much longer, you know?"

"I know what you mean," said Luke as he looked over at her with a small smile.

"So much has happened. We basically remodeled the house again, I sent my kid off into the world, you sent your kid off to college." She paused and turned to face him while he drove. "Are you sure you're okay? I know I asked a _million_ times already, but I just want to make sure."

"Yes, Lorelai, I'm fine. I told you before. We were kind of expecting it so there was no shock. I'm sad for Buddy, you know, but I made him promise to call me if he needs anything. Other than that, I'm fine."

"Okay," said Lorelai softly. 

* * *

Two weeks later, Lorelai practically ran inside the house. "Is it here, is it here?!" she called out as she tried to quickly kick off her heels in the foyer.

"It's here," chuckled Luke.

Sandra had emailed Lorelai earlier in the day to tell her that UPS would be dropping off a small box of the magazines with Luke's article in it.

"Did you open it yet?" she asked as she walked into the kitchen.

"Have we just met?" Luke deadpanned as he handed her his pocket knife to cut open the box.

Lorelai carefully cut through the packing tape and opened the box. There were about ten copies inside. She picked up the top copy and flipped through until she found the article. She read it quickly and looked up at him.

"This is so great. I'm beyond proud of you," she said with a look of complete adoration.

He smiled and took another magazine out of the box for himself. She stood behind him to read over his shoulder.

"I still don't see how you didn't make the front cover. Look at that sexy picture of you," she said as she pointed at a picture that was taken of Luke standing on the steps in front of the diner. He was in his classic Luke stance with his hands on hips and a smile on his face.

"Believe me, I'm perfectly fine not having my picture on the cover. The article is plenty," said Luke as he closed the magazine and placed it back inside the box.

He walked over to the stove to check on his sauce. Lorelai walked up behind him and wrapped her arms around his waist.

"What's for dinner?" she asked softly.

"Spaghetti and meatballs with garlic bread. I brought a boysenberry pie home for you too," said Luke as he placed the spoon he used to stir the sauce down on the spoon rest.

"I'm going shower real quick. Did you want to go to BWR tonight? They're showing _Vertigo_. It's been a while since we saw that one," said Lorelai as she leaned against the counter next to the stove.

Luke checked the time on his watch. "It's already seven. How about we just stay in tonight? I'll even let you pick the movie and we can watch it in bed _with_ your pie," said Luke with a smirk.

"Oh, you beautiful man," said Lorelai as she leaned in to give him a quick kiss and headed upstairs.

Luke put on his oven mitts and grabbed the pot of pasta that was boiling on the stove. He drained it into a colander in the sink and poured the pasta back into the pot. He placed the pot back onto the stove and checked on his meatballs that were baking in one of the oven compartments. He opened the next oven door to check on the garlic bread. Since both items looked to be done, he turned off the oven. He poured his sauce into the pot with the pasta and gave it a quick toss. He pulled out the small tray of meatballs and, with a pair of tongs, added them into the pot of spaghetti. He grabbed his cutting board and pulled the garlic bread out of the oven. He quickly sliced up the small loaf and placed the pieces back on the baking sheet.

Lorelai came back downstairs in her old Yale sweatpants and a white t-shirt. Her hair was in a messy bun on top her head. She walked over to the fridge and opened the door.

"You want wine or a beer?" she asked.

"Beer is fine," said Luke as he started to plate their food.

Lorelai grabbed two beers and took a seat at the table. She twisted the tops off of each one and set them in front of their plates. They ate in comfortable silence for a few minutes. Lorelai noticed Luke looked deep in thought.

"So, how was your day?" asked Lorelai as she twirled a heap of spaghetti with her fork.

"It was good. When you left after lunch, I had Caesar take over. I wanted to stop and check on Buddy," said Luke as he broke off a piece of garlic bread and popped it into his mouth.

"Aw, I wish you would have told me. I would have gone with you," said Lorelai as she tried to cover the hurt in her voice.

Since Maisy's passing, Luke had gone out to see Buddy practically every other day. And all but one of those times, he's gone alone. Lorelai knew Luke liked to deal with certain things on his own but she didn't want him to get lost inside his head and forget that she was there if he needed her. He had finally stopped having his "dark day" a few years ago and Lorelai hoped this wouldn't turn into the same situation.

"I know you would have, Lorelai. I'll let you know the next time I plan on going," said Luke softly.

They finished eating and Lorelai helped Luke clean up. He headed upstairs afterward while she grabbed her pie, a fork, and a couple of napkins. She entered their bedroom to find the bathroom door closed and the shower running. She set her pie down on her nightstand and pulled back the blankets on the bed. She pulled off her sweatpants, folded them up and placed them back in her dresser. She turned the tv on and grabbed her _Casablanca_ dvd that Rory had gotten her for her birthday and loaded it into the dvd player. She sat on the bed in just her boy short briefs and t-shirt and leaned back against her pillows. She picked up her pie and set it on her lap. A few minutes later, Luke exited the bathroom in just his boxer briefs and climbed into bed.

" _Casablanca_ again?" he asked as he grimaced at her proffered bite of pie.

"Aw, come on," cajoled Lorelai. "This movie has such sentimental value. It was our first movie-night movie. I thought it would put you in a better mood."

He carefully grabbed the pie out of her hands and set it on his nightstand. Before she could protest, he gently held her face in his hands and placed a soft, lingering kiss on her lips. He pulled back and stared into her confused, blue eyes.

"I am so grateful for you, Lorelai. And I'm sorry if I've been shutting you out. That wasn't my intention and apparently I'm still not great at dealing with my emotions," said Luke quietly. "The magazine article coming out reminded me that, had you not pushed for me to do it, we may not have stopped in to see Maisy that night and I wouldn't have got the chance to say goodbye. I guess what I'm trying to say is to keep thinking how you think."

Lorelai smiled at his choice of words. He was a man of few, but he knew how to find them when it mattered most.

"I love you," she whispered as she leaned in for another kiss.

"I love _you_ ," said Luke as he trailed kisses down her neck.

Lorelai moaned softly as she let her head fall back slowly to give him better access. He made his way across her throat and started to give the other side of her neck the same attention. While his lips went to work, his hands found their way under her shirt. He cupped and massaged her bare breasts gently before he pulled her t-shirt up and over her head. After he tossed away the offending garment, she scooted down and pulled him to lay on top of her. Their lips met in a heated kiss with their tongues battling for control. After a few minutes, Luke pulled back panting with need and kneeled in between her thighs. He slowly pulled her briefs down her legs and tossed them to the floor. He did the same with his own and motioned for her to kneel in front of him.

"Turn around," he whispered in a deep, gravelly voice.

Arousal flooded through Lorelai's body as she did what she was told. He gently pushed on her back so that she leaned forward. Once she was on all fours, he slowly smoothed his hands down her back and the outside of her thighs. He took his hardness in his hand and slowly entered her warmth which caused her to moan loudly. He gave her a few seconds to adjust before he started to thrust into her.

"Oh, Lorelai," moaned Luke as he started to quicken his pace.

"Ohh, I'm so close," panted Lorelai as she grabbed onto the metal headboard with one hand and started to stroke herself with the other.

It wasn't long before she climaxed taking Luke along with her. He leaned over her backside panting with exertion as he held onto the headboard to support his weight. After their breathing slowed, he broke the connection and lay on his side pulling her down to lie in front of him. He hugged her to him for a moment as he placed tiny kisses on her shoulder.

The sound of "As Time Goes By" brought them back to reality. Luke turned over and grabbed her pie. He handed it back to her and grabbed the fork to take a bite. He gave her an appreciative nod before he took another bite.

"Hmm, this actually isn't that bad," he said as he chewed thoughtfully.

Lorelai giggled as she took the fork from him and scooped up a bite for herself. "Louie, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship," said Lorelai which earned her a good-natured eye roll from Luke. 

* * *

**A/N:** It's never established when Luke actually opened the diner. In episode 6.20, Anna tells Luke that she was there when he opened it. If April was born in April of 1993, that means Anna would have gotten pregnant the summer of 1992. If they were broken up when she found out she was pregnant, Luke's had to have opened not long before that (makes sense?). Now, of course, this is my theory but it seems to work.

I knew I wanted to do a Luke's anniversary piece. I didn't intend on writing about any minor character deaths but when I researched, prior to creating my timeline, I saw the actress Kathryn Joosten did actually pass away June 2, 2012.


	8. 2013

**MARCH 2013**

It was late afternoon on a Saturday when Lorelai trudged in the house. She removed her jean jacket and hung it up in the foyer. She peeked into the living room but found it empty so she made her way upstairs. She found Luke in their walk-in closet surrounded by tons of her shoes.

"Developing a shoe fetish?" she asked as she squatted down to see what it was he was doing.

"I built you another shelf for your shoes since they seem to be multiplying lately," said Luke as he gave her a pointed look.

"Hey, don't blame me. Blame Rory for introducing me to ShoeDazzle," said Lorelai as she removed her boots and set them aside.

"Right," said Luke as he tested the support of the shelf with a few pairs of Lorelai's heaviest shoes. "How was the movie?"

"Every time I go to the movies with Sookie and the Belleville Bunch I'm quickly reminded of why I didn't take Rory until she was older. The screaming, the crying, the running around. It's like Disney World without all the fun rides and good food."

"Then why do you go?" asked Luke as he continued to place the rest of her shoes onto the shelf.

"Because. Sookie always did things with me and Rory before she had kids of her own. And her kids are actually well-behaved compared to other people's hooligans . Also, the movie had a funny title, _The Croods_ , so I couldn't really say no to that."

"Who could?" asked Luke rhetorically as he started to pick up his tools.

"You okay?" asked Lorelai as she noticed a somewhat defeated tone in his voice.

"I'm fine," he said with a sigh but his face said something different. "I'm just tired from pulling all these extra shifts since Joe quit. I have to go back in about an hour to cover the dinner shift."

"Luke, I told you I would help you out on nights when I'm not working. I don't mind. How many times have you had to come help me out at the inn? That's what partners in life are for, babe."

"I don't know. Don't you normally catch up on _The Americans_ when it's your weekend off?" asked Luke as they made their way downstairs.

"That's the beauty of a DVR. I can watch anytime I want. Come on! It'll be fun. Like _Cheers_ only you don't serve alcohol and you're _way_ hotter than Ted Danson."

"Okay, but no diner lingo or Lucky Duck Clucks or any other disgusting food that doesn't exist," said Luke as he placed his tools back inside Bert and carried it outside to the garage.

An hour later both Luke and Lorelai entered the practically empty diner. It wasn't quite peak dinner time yet in Stars Hollow, so Luke had some time to run the dishwasher and start some minor prep before the rush. Lorelai pulled her hair back into a low ponytail and grabbed an extra apron from the store room. She noticed the coffee was low so she grabbed the pot and poured some into a to-go cup for herself and quickly rinsed out the rest. She placed it back on the burner and grabbed the container of coffee grounds. She carefully measured out enough scoops just as Luke walked up behind her.

"Don't make it too strong. Not everyone is a coffee addict like you," he said with a smirk.

"They just don't know what they're missing," said Lorelai as she slid the funnel back into place on the coffee machine and turned it on.

Around 9:00 p.m., they were down to just one more customer. Things had gone pretty smoothly even when a few of the townies started making jokes about them looking even more like a married couple now that Lorelai was playing the part of waitress to the local diner owner. By this time, they were used to the comments about them not being married and doing everything a married couple does. They always just shrugged it off or laughed along with everyone else. At this point, being together and being partners was all they needed.

When they got back together almost six years ago, Luke told Lorelai to let him know when she was ready to get married. To him they were just as good as married, but a small part of him hoped one day they would make it official. The main reason for that was because he still had her original engagement ring. When he officially moved in with Lorelai, Luke had cleared some stuff out of his safe in the apartment. The ring was amongst those items. He placed it in the drawer of the desk in her living room. And it would stay there until she was ready.

"Is there anything I can do?" asked Lorelai interrupting his thoughts and methodical wipe-down of the counter.

"You can grab all the salt shakers and bring them over here. I'll show you how I fill them," said Luke as he handed her an empty round tray to place all the shakers on.

Lorelai rounded up all the shakers as Luke rang up the last customer. When the customer left, Luke locked the door, flipped the sign to show CLOSED, and turned off the lights. He walked back behind the counter and grabbed a large container of salt and a funnel. He helped Lorelai unscrew all the tops to the shakers and placed the tip of the funnel inside one to show her how he refills them.

"Oh, fun. I think I can handle that," said Lorelai as she continued to fill the rest while Luke went to clear the table from the last customer.

He carried the dishes to the kitchen and loaded them into the dishwasher. He turned it on and flipped off the light switch.

"I'm done. For all my hard work tonight, can I take this leftover pie home?" asked Lorelai. Without waiting for a response, she grabbed a pie box and stuck the pie inside.

"Do you want some coffee before I pour the rest of this out?" asked Luke as he gestured to the coffee pot.

"I refilled my to-go cup earlier," said Lorelai as she pulled her cup from underneath the counter and took a sip.

After double checking to make sure they hadn't missed anything, Luke followed Lorelai out the door and locked it up behind them. They walked to his truck and hopped in.

"This was fun. And I did a good job. Don't you think I did a good job?"

"You did good," said Luke with a smile.

 **OCTOBER 2013**

It was the day before Halloween and Lorelai was seated at the kitchen table while Luke melted chocolate in a double boiler on the stove. Instead of her usual candy apples, Lorelai wanted to do something different this year. She had discovered the website Pinterest recently and found a cute idea for making apples look like pumpkins. They had everything they needed on hand and all she had to do was paint some popsicle sticks green. She was in the middle of doing just that when her phone started to ring to the theme of the movie _Halloween_.

"Let me guess. You bought an incredibly slutty costume and you want my approval so that you don't feel bad for not feeling bad about wearing it?"

"Yep. You got me," said Rory dryly.

"When does your train get in? I can't wait for you to see how the apples turned out. Luke got the chocolate the perfect shade of orange," said Lorelai as she started to pierce the top of the apples with the dried popsicle sticks.

"Actually, thats why I'm calling. Paris suggested that we book a hotel room where they're hosting the reunion in Hartford. That way no one has to be the DD and we can all have a good time."

"Well albeit crazy for me to agree with Paris, she does have a point," said Lorelai as she stood to set all the apples down on the wax paper she had spread out on the counter by the stove.

"Okay. My train doesn't leave until late Saturday. I'll stop by the inn for brunch and fill you in on how after ten years of being out of high school, Paris is still Paris."

"Sounds good, Hon. See you Saturday." 

* * *

The next night, Lorelai was at Sookie's and they sat inside the closed in porch while Jackson and Luke took the three Bellville kids and Doula trick-or-treating. Liz and T.J. were attending a costume party hosted by one of their Renaissance faire buddies down the street and, lucky for Doula, kids weren't allowed.

"I thought Rory was coming home for Halloween this year," said Sookie as she tossed some candy into the buckets of three trick-or-treaters that ascended the porch steps.

"Her 10-year high school reunion is tomorrow night so she decided to stay in Hartford. She'll be coming by for brunch on Saturday though," said Lorelai as she bit into one of her chocolate-covered apples she brought to hand out.

"Wow, can you believe it's already been ten years since she graduated?" asked Sookie with a slight shake of her head.

"I know. And that means it's been ten years since we decided to go into business together. Officially, I mean. Man. Time flies," said Lorelai lost in thought.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the slamming of the porch door and an angry 8-year-old Martha stomping into the house. The rest of the brood walked up the pathway to the porch and Lorelai followed Sookie outside to get the details.

"What's up with Doc McStuffins?" Sookie asked Jackson as he approached holding a half-asleep Vivian dressed as Sofia The First.

"She got mad because I let Jake the Pirate over there walk through Babette's haunted house with Luke," said Jackson as he gestured over to Davey who sat on the porch steps going through his haul.

"Aw, I'll go talk to her. I think she forgot about the _Texas Chainsaw Massacre_ bit that they put on last year and how much it scared her," said Sookie with a chuckle.

Luke and Lorelai said their goodbyes and headed to Liz and T.J.'s to put Doula to bed and to wait for them to return. It was almost midnight by the time they walked into their own house.

"You know what I realized tonight?" asked Lorelai as she undressed and pulled on her favorite pair of puppy pajamas.

"That it's a miracle Doula is so well-behaved considering the fruitcake parents she ended up with?" asked Luke before he sipped a cap full of mouthwash and started to gargle.

"That _and_ the fact that it's been ten years since me and Sookie bought the Dragonfly and started work on it. We took such a leap of faith in each other back then. And it hasn't always been an easy road but I'm glad I have her as my business partner," said Lorelai as she grabbed her toothbrush.

"Well, let's hope for ten more," said Luke as he kissed her temple and gave her bottom a playful swat. 

* * *

On Saturday, around 11:00 a.m., Rory entered the Dragonfly to find her mother standing behind the front desk checking in a couple and their little girl. They made eye contact and Rory motioned towards the dining room letting Lorelai know that's where she would be. A few minutes later, Lorelai found her daughter seated at a table with her nose in a book and smiled at the familiarity of the scene in front of her. She pulled out a chair and took a seat.

"Sorry about that. Michel was on his ten," said Lorelai as she grabbed a glass of water and took a sip.

"I figured," said Rory as she folded down the corner of the page she was reading and closed the book. "I hope you don't mind, I ordered the fried potatoes and sausage."

"Ahh, battling the hangover are we?" asked Lorelai with a smirk.

"Something like that," chuckled Rory before she took a sip of her coffee.

"So, how did it go? Did you and Paris pull a Romy and Michelle and go in matching outfits?" asked Lorelai as she smiled up at Derek who came over to pour her a cup of fresh coffee and deliver a plate of chocolate chip scones.

"We actually had a good time. And by we, I mean me and everyone else. Paris on the other hand had to be pulled off of the stage."

"Uh oh. Was it similar to the 'I didn't get into Harvard' speech?" asked Lorelai with a grimace.

"She rushed the stage like Kanye West at the MTV Video Music Awards when she didn't win most successful person of our graduating class. And poor Doyle. It had been a while since he had to experience competitive Paris," said Rory as she started to eat her just delivered plate of greasy carbs.

"Man, you'd think the success she's had since college would be enough, but I guess she wouldn't be Paris without wanting to be the best at everything," said Lorelai with a slight shake of her head.

"Did I tell you that, along with everything else she's got going on, she's planning on getting certified to be a dental technician? According to her, having something to fall back on is a good strategy even for an MD."

"Well she's driven. That's for sure," said Lorelai as she popped a piece of scone in her mouth. "What about you? How do you feel about not being named most successful?"

"I'm fine with that. I'm doing exactly what I want to be doing. I get to travel and write. It's what I set out to do. I consider that to be successful," said Rory with a smile.

"Hear, hear."

 **NOVEMBER 2013**

Luke groaned softly in his sleep. He couldn't tell if he was dreaming or not but the sensation he felt was very real. With his eyes still closed, he reached his hand out and came in contact with the source. He opened his heavy lids and looked down to see a pair of beautiful, blue eyes staring back with her mouth wrapped around him.

"Jesus, Lorelai," moaned Luke as she went back to work using both her hand and mouth in a torturous rhythm.

He closed his eyes and let the pleasure take over him. He threaded his fingers through her hair and gently massaged her scalp. This had become an annual birthday tradition but for some reason it always took him by surprise. He used to be a heavy sleeper. But after years of being awoke in the middle of the night because of the first snowfall, random conversations that just couldn't wait until morning, or episodes like the one he was currently enjoying, now he tended to sleep more on the lighter side.

She released him and sat back on her haunches. It was then, he realized, that she was completely nude. She pulled his sweatpants the rest of the way down and climbed over him. She straddled his hips as he grabbed hers and slowly sank down onto him. He sat up and captured her lips in a heated kiss. As their tongues battled it out, she began to roll her hips forward. Luke ran his hands down her smooth back until he reached her bottom. He gave her cheeks a squeeze and pulled her closer so that she was flush against his chest.

"Oh, god," moaned Lorelai as Luke started to suck on her neck. She made a mental note to grab a scarf on her way out the door in the morning.

Without breaking the connection, Luke leaned forward causing Lorelai to land on her back. He caught his weight with his forearms as he continued to slowly thrust into her. He kissed his way down her neck and to each breast, suckling them both gently. She wrapped her long legs around him and he started to quicken the pace.

It wasn't long before her orgasm slammed into her and Luke quickly followed. They lie, a tangled and sated pile of limbs, trying to catch their breath. Lorelai rolled over and placed tiny kisses on his chest and shoulder. He turned his head to meet her gaze and smiled at the satisfaction on her face.

"I don't think I'll _ever_ get tired of being waken up like that. It's the only good thing about being a year older," said Luke with a smirk as he gently rubbed her bare back.

"Well Happy Birthday, Burger Boy." 

* * *

**A/N:** Sorry for such a short, random chapter. There just wasn't anything that NEEDED to be covered in this particular year which is why I tried to make it up with a little Luke, birthday happiness ;)

I loved in the revival that Lorelai was completely "at home" helping out in the diner. She didn't do that in the OG series while they were dating so I like to think that something happened and Luke needed her help and it just continued from there. I also wanted to bring up the ring because Luke still had her original ring and I thought that was so sweet. And that told me that he's been waiting for that moment for a long time. Just a tiny detail but I just wanted to touch on it (Dirty!). Two more chapters left to this story!


	9. 2014

**DECEMBER 2014**

"I'm taking some time off," blurted out Sookie as Lorelai sat down at her desk.

Sookie had asked if Lorelai and Michel could meet early in the morning at the inn. She said it was important so Lorelai agreed. This was not what she expected to be the topic of conversation.

"Sookie, you _always_ take the week before Christmas off and then Michel takes the week after-"

"I meant longer than a week. More like six months," interrupted Sookie.

"That sounds like a sabbatical," drawled Michel.

"Sookie, what's going on?" asked Lorelai as she leaned forward on her forearms.

"I don't know. I got to thinking that the past ten years have been so great and I've been able to create all these amazing new recipes and really hone my craft and then it hit me that I haven't created anything new in the past two years," said Sookie with tear-filled eyes.

"That's okay. People rave about your food, Sookie. Everyone knows how amazing you are at what you do," said Lorelai gently as she reached for a tissue to hand to Sookie.

"It's not okay, Lorelai. I'm an artist and food is my art. Pretty soon people will get tired of the same old thing. I just want some time to clear my head and come up with new recipes. I owe it to this place," said Sookie with a sniffle.

"Who do you propose we put in charge until your little vacation is over?" asked Michel as he crossed his arms over his chest and turned in his seat to face Sookie.

"Manny has always been my second in command and I think he could handle it."

"Ugh, Manny? No one can understand him with his thick accent," said Michel with a slight pout.

"We could say the same about you, Michel," said Lorelai pointedly. She turned her attention back to Sookie and sighed. "If Manny is okay with taking charge, I don't see why we can't make this work. Are you sure this is what you want to do?"

"I'm sure," said Sookie with a nod. "I'll stay until the end of December and start my leave in January. That should give me enough time to prepare the kitchen staff and pull together some of my old menu notes."

After hashing out a few more details, all three of them stood up and Michel exited the office first. Lorelai stepped in front of Sookie so she couldn't leave. They embraced in a tight hug before Lorelai pulled back to look at her best friend and business partner.

"I hope you find what you're looking for," said Lorelai with a teary-eyed smile.

"Me too." 

* * *

A few weeks later it was Christmas morning. It was only Luke, Lorelai, and Paul Anka celebrating that year. April decided to spend her winter break from MIT in New Mexico with her mom and Keith and Rory accompanied the Gilmore's to Europe to visit Emily's ailing sister Hope.

Lorelai lay on her back and stared up at the ceiling. Every Christmas, for as long as they've been together, Lorelai was the first one up before the sun even started to shine through the bedroom windows. This year, however, she couldn't seem to move from her spot on the bed. Luke rolled over to face her, surprised to still see her lying there.

"You feeling okay?" he croaked sleepily as he wrapped his arm over her stomach and scooted closer towards her.

"I don't think she's coming back," said Lorelai softly as she continued to stare up at nothing.

"Lorelai, I think Rory is a little too old for your mother to try and kidnap. They'll be back in two weeks," said Luke as he started to softly scratch up and down her arm.

"Sookie. I don't think _Sookie_ is coming back. I just feel it. It's hard to explain," said Lorelai with a sigh.

Luke propped himself up on his elbow and gently grabbed her hand to get her attention. He brushed a soft kiss on her knuckles and gave her a small smile. "She'll come back. This is Sookie we're talking about. The woman who wouldn't even take bedrest seriously and called a hundred times when I was trying to run her kitchen for her. It would have to take something new and exciting to pull her away and where is she going to find that in Stars Hollow? Don't let this ruin your Christmas."

"You're right," said Lorelai softly with a smile. She was so thankful to have this man in her life who, let's face it, wasn't always a positive, ray of sunshine but who could make her feel so calm and at ease. She lifted her head and gave him a soft kiss on the lips.

"Now, in anticipation of you being a little sad over the girls not being here this year, I did get you everything on your list including that disgusting peppermint mocha coffee creamer that you love," said Luke as he climbed out of bed and walked around to her side and held out his hand. "Shall we?"

Lorelai squealed with delight and took his proffered hand. She practically bounced down the stairs behind him as they made their way into the kitchen. Lorelai started the coffee pot as Luke took out the fixings to make their traditional Christmas breakfast: French toast, scrambled eggs, and turkey bacon. The turkey bacon was a bargaining chip to get Luke to actually eat the breakfast with her and, so far, it seemed to work. Luke started to prepare their breakfast as Lorelai tended to her coffee. After pouring a generous amount of creamer, she placed it back inside the fridge and grabbed her coffee and a sugar cookie off the table and headed into the living room.

She set her stuff down on the coffee table and went over to the fireplace to light it. After the fire was going, she picked up her coffee and cookie and settled herself onto the couch with Paul Anka snuggled at her feet. She chewed her cookie thoughtfully as she stared at her surroundings.

Every year they decorated the outside as well as the inside of the house. Lights were strung around the bannister of the stairs and over each archway. They always purchased an enormous tree and decorated it with colored lights and a lot Rory's old, hand-made decorations. Almost every wall downstairs had some kind of Christmas decoration hung up on it. It was Lorelai's favorite time of year and she enjoyed going all out.

Luke peeked his head in the living room. "Breakfast is done."

Lorelai grabbed her empty coffee cup and made her way into the kitchen. She refilled the cup, added more creamer, and took a seat at the table. She grabbed the bottle of syrup and doused her stack of toast with it which caused a look of disgust from Luke.

"Oh, please. You're used to this by now," said Lorelai before she shoved a huge bite into her mouth.

"You'd think so." said Luke as he nibbled on his piece of turkey bacon.

"What did you want to do today?" asked Lorelai through stuffed cheeks.

Luke shrugged before taking a bite of his eggs. He chewed quickly and swallowed.

"I just thought we'd hang out here for most of the morning and then head out to deliver everyone's gifts later on this afternoon."

"Hmm," hummed Lorelai as she absent-mindedly swirled her bacon around in her syrup, lost in thought.

"You okay?" asked Luke before he took a sip of his orange juice.

Lorelai shook her head slightly to clear her thoughts and gave him a small smile. "I'm fine. It's just with Sookie leaving in a couple weeks it had me thinking about change and how much I really don't care for it. But also, how good it could be. You know?"

"I know what you mean."

"I mean, I knew for a long time that I wanted to have my own inn one day. It was the business side that I loved because I was good at it and I'm doing exactly what I set out to do. But, for Sookie, it was the love of creating something new and trying out different recipes and keeping up with the ever-changing dietary habits of people. I guess if I was more creative I could understand being in a creative rut."

"You _are_ creative. I've seen you put together events, conferences, weddings. I don't think you give yourself enough credit sometimes," said Luke as he stood to bring their empty plates to the sink.

"For me, that's all part of running the business. And I love doing all of that. I just couldn't imagine wanting to step back from it," said Lorelai as she carried their empty glasses to the sink and helped Luke load the dishwasher.

"Hence, your dislike of change," said Luke with a smirk.

"Exactly," said Lorelai with a sigh. " _But_ , like I said, some change can be good. Remember that Christmas when you drove me to the hospital to see my dad?"

"Technically, it was a few weeks before Christmas, but yes. I remember."

"Before then, I don't think I really relied on you. Except of course to keep me in coffee and fed and occasionally fix things around the house. But I didn't rely on you _emotionally_. I think all of that changed seeing you there for me,' said Lorelai as she wrapped her arms around his waist and hugged him.

He kissed the top of her head and soothingly rubbed up and down her back. It wasn't often she shared how she was feeling. But from the few times she had, Luke learned to just listen and comfort her. He knew she was taking the fact that Sookie was leaving pretty hard, but he would be there for her in any way he could.

"I'm always here for you, Lorelai," said Luke softly.

"I know. And I love you for that," said Lorelai as she smiled up at him.

He gave her a soft kiss on the lips. "Open presents?"

"Yes!" squealed Lorelai as she took Luke's hand and dragged him into the living room.

Later on that afternoon, Lorelai was seated at Sookie and Jackson's kitchen table watching the Belleville Bunch play on their new Wii in the living room. Luke and Jackson were outside checking out Jackson's new charcoal smoker. Sookie had put together a smattering of things to snack on including gourmet cheeses and some fruit.

"So, what did Jackson get you this year?" asked Lorelai as she popped a grape into her mouth.

"He booked us a weekend in New York. My friend Jenny's husband is a farmer in Pocantico Hills and he told Jackson about this restaurant called Blue Hill at Stone Barns. It's supposed to be great. Everything they cook with is grown on their own pastures or from other local farms."

"Sounds right up you guys' alley that's for sure," chuckled Lorelai before she took a small sip of wine.

"I looked it up online. It's pretty fancy. Jacket and tie only which means we have to go shopping for a new suit. I don't think Jacksons had to wear one since his short stint as Town Selectman," said Sookie as she spread some Cremeux de Citeaux cheese on a piece of toasted rye bread.

"Ugh. Speaking of fancy. Michel texted me a picture of him and Frederick under the Eiffel Tower with the caption 'Thanks for giving me Christmas off. Sookie should take a leave of absence more often.'"

"Smug bastard. Just for that, I'm taking my granola that he loves so much!"

"Come on, you know Michel. He doesn't like to tell us when he's upset about something. He sulks or lashes out, but I can tell he's upset that you're leaving. He thrives on that demeaning, sarcastic banter that you two have going on. Try not to take it personally."

"I'll try not to, but I'm still taking my granola," said Sookie stubbornly.

Lorelai smiled and shook her head slightly. She knew she would still see Sookie pretty regularly but she was going to miss their classic kitchen conversations. It was definitely going to be strange to walk into the kitchen of her inn and not see her best friend almost every single day.

She thought back to the conversation she had earlier with Luke about change and how much she said she didn't like it. But, the more she thought about it, every time a change happened in her life something good also came from it. Everything from her moving out on her own with a one-year-old, to the Independence Inn burning down, to her taking a chance and truly letting a man into her heart. It all led to something better. She decided right then and there that whatever the outcome of Sookie's sabbatical might be, she would try to remain positive and keep pushing forward. 

* * *

**A/N:** It's not exactly clear when the revival starts. We know it's after Christmas because Lorelai tells Rory that she's missed it and also Thanksgiving. The town, however, is still decorated for Christmas as well as Lorelai's house and the inn. So, to me, the revival starts at the end of December 2015 which is why Sookie would announce she's leaving in 2014 (I don't know why I felt the need to clear that up lol).

I did NOT like the storyline they gave Sookie. I understand it was because Melissa McCarthy wasn't available to shoot all four episodes and I'm so grateful we got at least one scene with her BUT I feel like they could have done something else. They could have just pretended she was there the whole time (bang around some pots and pans and give the illusion haha). I don't see someone like Sookie, who loves cooking and whose entire life is in Stars Hollow, completely abandoning everything to go eat dirt lol. But it _has_ been 8+ years since we see her and people do change, so to each their own I guess.


	10. 2015

**JANUARY 2015**

"Hola, Manny!" said Lorelai as she entered the kitchen of the Dragonfly one morning.

"Hola, Miss Lorelai," said Manny with a smile as he looked up from Sookie's binder of menu notes.

It was a few weeks into the new year and things had been going rather smoothly. Sookie's staff was definitely equipped to handle the job for the time being, but Lorelai was still counting down the time until her head chef and best friend would return to work. As she topped off her coffee cup, she felt her phone start to vibrate in her back pocket. She checked the display and when she saw it read SOOKIE she quickly answered.

"Finally back in the land of phone reception?" asked Lorelai as she made her way through the dining room and towards her office.

"We did. It was kind of nice to be without our cell phones for an entire weekend though."

Lorelai closed the door to her office and took a seat at her desk. "Don't tell Luke that or else he'll be booking us a trip there."

"Speaking of Luke, how's that whole Wi-Fi thing working out for the diner?" asked Sookie with a chuckle.

"Oh, my God. We still never found out who told people the diner had Wi-Fi. I told him as long as he doesn't give out the password there's nothing anyone can do with it. So he's been giving out fake passwords to the people that ask for it. It's actually pretty genius," said Lorelai as she sipped her coffee and glanced over the few emails she had.

"So, I, uh, kind of came across this opportunity," said Sookie slowly unable to gauge Lorelai's reaction over the phone.

Lorelai froze and a knot formed at the pit of her stomach. She didn't want to jump to any conclusions so she took a deep breath and a large sip of coffee. "What kind of opportunity?"

"Well at dinner the other night at Blue Hill we got to talking to a group of people and it turns out that they do this six month F.A.R.M.S. apprenticeship. The whole point of it is to deepen your connection to the land and once a week the apprentices get to work with the farmers in the vegetable fields or the greenhouse or the livestock pastures. It sounds pretty interesting."

"That _does_ sound interesting. But if you're doing that for six months, how are you supposed to find the time to come up with new recipes? I thought that was the reason for taking time off," said Lorelai trying not to let her emotions get the best of her.

"That _is_ why I'm taking time off. And this is still food-related. I'll get insight into the current food system which I think will help inspire me. I haven't exactly decided if I would do it. It would mean me commuting an hour away a few days a week and a few other details we'd have to work out. It's just, something like this doesn't come up for me."

"Then I think you should take it," said Lorelai hesitantly. "It sounds like a once in a lifetime opportunity, Sook. And you have the time off to dedicate to it. How does Jackson feel about it?"

"He loves the whole farm-to-table concept. He's not crazy about the commute, but it is a paid apprenticeship so maybe I can get a more fuel-efficient car. Hold on," said Sookie before she pulled the phone away from her mouth and yelled, "Viv, you have to share! That Wii is for all three of you!"

Lorelai smiled as she listened to the drama unfold on the other end of the line. She heard a knock on her door and looked over to see Luke enter the office with his toolbox. She smiled and held up her pointer finger silently asking him to give her a minute. He gestured behind him with his thumb and quietly closed the door to the office.

"Sook, I need to go. Luke is here to fix the armoire door in room seven." She paused for a moment. "Please let me know what you decide?"

"Of course, Lorelai. I told them I would let them know by the end of the week, but I promise you'll know before then."

After she hung up with Sookie, Lorelai made her way upstairs to room seven. She found Luke digging around his toolbox for a small screwdriver. She closed the door softly behind her and leaned back against it with a thud.

"I was right," she whispered.

"About what?" asked Luke as he put down the hinge he was replacing and stood in front of her with his hands on his hips.

She pushed herself forward and wrapped her arms around his neck. He immediately encircled her waist and pulled her tight against him.

"Sookie. I was right about Sookie," said Lorelai in a muffled voice with her face buried in Luke's neck.

Luke softly kissed the side of her head before he gently pushed her back so he could make sure she was okay. He met her tear-filled gaze and his heart broke for her. He tucked a curl behind her ear. "What happened?"

She quickly filled him in on the conversation she had with Sookie. Luke was at a loss for what to say. He never in a million years could have imagined Sookie not being apart of the Dragonfly. But, like Lorelai, he was a person who was completely content in what he did for a living. Lorelai walked to the bathroom to grab some Kleenex. She quickly blew her nose and wiped underneath her eyes before making her way back into the room.

"I'm selfish. I'm a selfish person," said Lorelai with a sigh as she sat down on the edge of the bed.

Luke kneeled in front of her and took both of her hands in his. "Hey. _You_ are not selfish. You're human. And you have every right to be upset. This thing is for six months, right? She'll go through the program. You'll get used to her being away. By the time it's done, she either decides she wants to come back or stay there or whatever may come of all of this, you'll at least know that you're capable of getting through it."

"I don't _want_ to get used to her not being here. That's the point of having a business _partner_ and not a business _associate_ ," said Lorelai snidely as she stood and started pacing around the room.

"Lorelai," sighed Luke as he stood up only to turn and sit down on the corner of the bed. "You can be upset, but don't take it out on me. I didn't cause any of this."

Lorelai stopped pacing and turned around to face him. The hurt look in his eyes melted away the anger and frustration she was feeling. She covered her face with her hands and exhaled loudly. She hung her head and placed her hands on her hips.

"I'm sorry. I'm not _trying_ to take it out on you, Luke. I just don't like feeling so out of control," said Lorelai softly as she stared down at her feet.

Luke stood and made his way towards her. He gently lifted her chin so she would look up at him. "You think I don't know that? Believe it or not, it's one of the qualities I love most about you," said Luke with a smirk.

"That I'm a control freak?"

"Well more of the freak, less of the control," chuckled Luke which earned him a small smile from Lorelai.

She leaned forward and placed a soft, lingering kiss on his lips. She pulled back slightly to meet his gaze and gave him a devilish grin. She pressed her lips to his again as she clung on to his shoulders. Completely lost in the moment, Luke deepened the kiss as he wrapped one arm around her neck and the other around her waist. He was brought back to reality when she started trailing hot, wet kisses across his jaw and down his neck.

"Lorelai," he groaned in a warning tone. "We can't do this here."

"Sure we can," she answered softly. She nipped gently at his earlobe before she whispered, "I know the owner, it's fine. Plus, you just said you like the freak part of me."

Luke chuckled slightly. It wasn't the first time things had gone too far when he'd come to the inn to fix something or help out in the kitchen. And he was pretty sure it wouldn't be the last. Before he knew it, she quickly unbuttoned his flannel and pulled it down his arms. She crossed her arms over her stomach and pulled off her blouse. Luke removed his t-shirt while Lorelai went to work on his belt. He toed off his boots while she kicked off her heels.

"We have to hurry," chuckled Lorelai as she pulled her dress pants and panties down quickly. "I have a meeting with a potential bridal client in 45 minutes."

"Oh geez, Lorelai," said Luke as he quickly removed his jeans and boxer briefs.

"Is that a problem? It doesn't _feel_ like a problem," said Lorelai with a smirk as she reached out to stroke him.

Luke closed his eyes and let the sensation take over him for a moment. He leaned forward and picked her up over his shoulder and walked over to the bed. He dropped her down on her back and pulled her to the edge of the bed as he stood in between her legs. She wrapped her legs around him as he guided himself into her entrance. He was so turned on by the reality of what they were doing that he had to give himself a moment or it would all be over.

"You have to be quiet," said Luke in that low, gravelly voice she loved as he started to thrust.

She nodded and bit down on her bottom lip with a smile. He picked up the pace and had her whimpering instantly. He didn't know if it was from pleasure or from her having to have self-control on the amount of noise she was able to make, but it definitely urged him on.

"Oh, God," she panted quietly over and over. "Don't stop, Luke."

He felt her tighten around him as she tumbled over the edge. He leaned forward to capture her lips and the sound of her moans as he found his release as well. He lay on top of her in a push-up position as he tried to catch his breath. After a minute, she grabbed his arm to check the time on his watch.

"Wow, ten minutes. I think that's a record for us," she chuckled as she cupped his face and pulled him down for a soft kiss.

"Yep. We're officially Olympic gold medalists in quick sex," Luke deadpanned as he stood up to start collecting their clothing that was strewn about the room.

Lorelai grabbed her clothes and went into the bathroom to freshen up. She came out a few minutes later to find Luke back to work on fixing the hinge to the armoire. She located her heels and quickly put them on.

"I'll send Tasha up to strip the bed," said Lorelai as she gave herself one last check in the mirror.

"Okay. Tell her I put my toolbox down on it or something," said Luke distractedly.

"Dirty," chuckled Lorelai without missing a beat.

"Don't you have a meeting to get to?" asked Luke with a smirk.

"I'm going," said Lorelai with her hands held up in mock defense. She walked over to Luke and wrapped her arms around his neck as he wrapped his around her waist. She pressed her forehead against his and stared into his blue, loving eyes.

"Thank you," she said softly as she leaned in for a quick kiss.

"That's what I'm here for," said Luke with a small smile.

 **JULY 2015**

"Martinis for the ladies and a beer for Luke," said Richard as he handed out everyone's drink orders one Friday night before dinner. "So, Rory, what are your plans for the rest of the summer?"

"I'll actually be going back to London. I was able to snag an interview with Naomi Shropshire. She's pretty eccentric from what I hear, but she spent decades breaking barriers and empowering women. I think a lot of people would be interested to hear her story."

"And I'm sure you're just the right person to tell her story," said Emily as she beamed at her granddaughter. "Who's publishing the article, so I know where to find it?"

"No one yet. I do have a contact at the New Yorker and he said whenever I have something worth submitting to just let him know. It could take a few months to get a response but if he comes through and they like the story, it's possible they'll publish it."

"They'd be crazy not to publish it," boasted Richard as he sipped on a glass of sparkling water.

"Uh, Dad? Something's wrong with your scotch. It's clear," pointed out Lorelai as she downed the rest of her martini.

"Very funny, Lorelai. It's sparkling water. I've been having terrible indigestion for the past few days and the carbonation seems to soothe it. And I'll apologize ahead of time for the rather _bland_ dinner your mother insisted on having the maid put together."

Emily sighed. "Oh, for Pete's sake Richard. Not this again. All you said was that you absolutely did not want fish, so we aren't having fish. Everything seems to be upsetting your stomach lately so I thought we'd try something different."

"I'm sure it'll be fine," said Luke trying to keep the peace.

"Yeah, Dad. Don't worry about it. I wish you would have told me though, so I could ask Sookie for her friend's information. She makes some of the best healthy meals. At least, that's what I've been told."

"Speaking of Sookie, how is she? You haven't mentioned her lately," said Emily.

Lorelai looked over at Luke who gave her an apologetic smile. She had gotten the news from Sookie earlier in the week and was still kind of processing it.

She took a deep breath and sighed. "Sookie has decided to stay on with Blue Hill for a while longer than she intended. Her and Jackson are purchasing a cabin not far from the farm in Pocantico Hills. They decided to rent out their house in Stars Hollow so they are packing up as we speak. Oh, and to top it all off. Manny, our temporary head chef, will be leaving at the end of the summer to take care of his mother in Guatemala."

"Lane told me they met with Kirk about a potential rental property, but I had no idea it was Sookie's house," said Rory as she shook her head in disbelief.

"Oh my. Well if you need help finding a new chef I can make some calls," offered Emily as the maid came in to announce that dinner was ready.

"No, Mom. It'll be fine. We've made it through the last six months without Sookie and I'm sure we can make it six more. We'll just have to do some adjusting to the menu and the type of food we serve. It's just temporary," said Lorelai hoping to convey she was done with the conversation by standing up and motioning to Luke to do the same.

"She's right, Emily. Lorelai has ran a very successful business for more than 10 years. I think she knows how to handle her own by now," said Richard with a wink as he stood to escort everyone to the dining room.

"Thanks, Dad," said Lorelai softly with a smile.

After dinner Luke, Lorelai, and Rory all stood outside the Gilmore mansion next to Rory's rental car. Dinner had indeed been bland and not even dessert had its usual euphoric affect.

"So, what's your plan for tomorrow?" asked Rory as she opened her car door and tossed her purse onto the passenger seat.

"I'll be going to the inn around noon to work on the books a little bit. Turns out it's expensive to keep people employed. Especially the needy ones like Michel," said Lorelai with a sigh.

"Okay. If you need any help let me know. I'm at your mercy until I leave next week for London," said Rory as she hugged her mother and then Luke.

"You'll regret telling her that by the way," Luke called out as they headed to the truck.

"Don't listen to him! I would never extort my one and only offspring!"

"See you at home," chuckled Rory as she got into her car and drove off. 

* * *

The next morning Lorelai walked downstairs to find Rory seated at the kitchen table with her laptop open and a cup of coffee by her side. On the stove was a plate of pancakes and a few pieces of bacon.

Lorelai sighed happily. "Bless that beautiful man."

She filled her mug that was waiting for her next to the coffee pot and grabbed her plate of breakfast and took a seat at the table. Without looking up, Rory slid her the bottle of syrup and then continued to type away.

"How long have you been up?" asked Lorelai while drizzling her pancakes and bacon with syrup.

"Since Luke left at seven o'clock. I had some emails I wanted to send and I had to confirm with DeeDee that it was okay for me to crash at her place next week in London," said Rory. She closed her laptop and carried her coffee mug over to the pot to refill it.

"When do I get to meet the famous DeeDee?" asked Lorelai with a mouth full of bacon.

"Well, next time you're in London…" chuckled Rory nervously. She sat back down and snatched a piece of bacon from her mother's plate.

"Do you think grandpa is okay?" asked Rory as she chewed thoughtfully. "The last time he was on a special diet was after the heart attack, what, nine years ago?"

"He's fine, Hon. He said it was just indigestion. I'm sure by now he would know if something didn't feel right."

"I guess. He just seemed so tired. I think he said he was going to the club today. I'll give him a call after lunch to check on him," said Rory before taking a sip of her coffee.

A few hours later Lorelai was showered and dressed. Rory had left a little while earlier to visit Lane and the boys and to get the scoop on whether or not they would be renting Sookie's house. Lorelai climbed into her Jeep and headed for the inn. She parked in her spot in the back and stared for a moment at Sookie's empty one. She hopped out of her car and entered the inn through the side door to the kitchen. She made her way down the hall next to the stairs and rounded the corner to see Michel standing behind the front desk on the phone.

"Yes, like I said. If you look at the website it will show you that the weekend you are so adamantly wanting to book is indeed unavailable," drawled Michel. He looked over at Lorelai and rolled his eyes.

She pointed towards her office door letting him know that's where she'll be and headed inside. She placed her purse down on the credenza behind her desk. She grabbed her cell phone out of the side pocket and set it down next to her keyboard. She turned on the computer and gave it a few minutes to completely start up. She pulled up her budget spreadsheet in Excel and grabbed her notebook from the drawer to the side of her desk.

After a half an hour of writing down figures she grabbed her phone and opened her calculator app. She started adding and subtracting down the column in her notebook when her phone started to ring. The display said MOM and she hesitated a second before she answered.

"Mom, it's not a good time. I'm in the middle-"

"Your father's in the hospital," interrupted Emily in a voice so quiet Lorelai almost didn't recognize it.

"What? W-why?"

"Apparently the discomfort he's been having lately wasn't indigestion. They said most people don't realize it's a symptom of a heart attack until they've had it," said Emily in a daze-like tone.

"Heart attack? Dad had another heart attack? Where are you?"

"I'm in the ICU at St. Joseph's. They brought him in by ambulance. He was at the club. I told him he shouldn't go to club today."

"Mom, I'm on my way okay? I'm going to stop and pick up Rory and we'll be there as soon as we can."

"I'll see you when you get here, Lorelai."

The call ended and Lorelai stared down at her phone. The calculator was still pulled up, frozen in time, as if that whole conversation didn't just happen. She felt completely numb and had to remind herself of the task at hand. She quickly stood up and grabbed her purse, leaving her desk as it was. She walked through the lobby, fishing for her keys inside her purse. She opened the front door to the inn and was immediately hit with the warm, fresh smell of summer. She took a deep breath and a sob caught in her throat. She jogged over to her Jeep and climbed in. She unlocked her phone and pressed the contact she was looking for to connect the call.

"Luke's!"

"It's me. Um, my dad's in the hospital…" 

* * *

**A/N:** And that was all she wrote… Just kidding. We all know what happens from here. There's no way I could find it in me to write an actual death scene for Richard so I figured this was a good stopping point since Lorelai basically tells the rest of the story to the therapist. I thought having their last "scene" together at a FND would be appropriate and lovely and that's how I like to imagine things were before he passed away.

I just want to say thanks to all the readers. I hope I did the GG fandom proud and I do plan on writing other stories (I have at least 3 one-shots planned) so this won't be the only story from me. Feel free to send me DM's or reviews. I truly appreciate all the feedback I've received so far :)


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